untitled (I always return to you)

by Jeannie Kyungjin Kim

mixed media/digital collage (Korean watercolours on washi paper, pen on paper)
When our exposure to nature became limited as a result of COVID-19, most of us became even more appreciative of what Mother Earth has to offer. Whenever I contemplate water, I find myself returning to nature, which in turn has me reflective of how necessary water is in our everyday lives. A part of my daily routine involves the main source of nature within my one-room apartment: green onions/scallions, 파 (pa). Scallions are an essential ingredient in most East Asian dishes, and the food from my Korean immigrant household is no exception. These days in particular, they are not only a source of comfort that reminds me of my mother's cooking, but also a source of strength when I simply watch how fast they grow day by day.

​Scallions are incredibly resilient. They can thrive with only water and sunlight, gently reminding me to take care of myself during these turbulent times with the nourishment necessary for self-growth. While observing and drawing the patterns on the surface of the scallions and then the wrinkles on my hands, I thought, how different are we from plants, really? As I refill their water and wash their roots every morning, I have inevitably developed a motherly attachment to the scallions. I wondered if this is comparable even in the slightest to what my mother felt as she raised me. At the very core of it all, I can say for certain that the natural instinct to nurture is present in both my mother and I.
Currently based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Jeannie Kyungjin Kim is an intercultural arts educator and artist with a BA (Hons) from the University of Toronto-Mississauga and an AD from Sheridan College specializing in design, painting and drawing. Currently, Jeannie's research-creation project for her MA Art Education focuses on conceptualizing the process of Korean watercolours as an approach to heuristic thinking. | Website: ​jeanniekk.com, IG: @jeannie.kk