Saehan Parc's Dense Illustrations Aim to Inspire Drawing, Solo Show at Cusp Dot

Saehan Parc, an illustrator known for densely packed scenes, hopes her work encourages viewers to draw. Her solo exhibition at Cusp Dot in Hangzhou featured two pieces derived from Chinese character structures: a crocodile beneath a stack of tiny figures and patterned trouser legs with painted eggs. Parc left art school at 21 and moved to France, studying narrative image-making and printmaking at HEAR (Haute École des Arts du Rhin) until 2017. She transitioned from digital to manual techniques, which she continues to use. After graduating, Korean publisher Jjokk Press commissioned a 16-page comic where she first presented her geometric style. Editorial work followed, and a conversation with publisher Editions 2024 led to her first children's book, Papa Ballon, published in 2021. Two more books, Coucou Sommeil and Bibimbap, have been translated beyond France and Korea. Parc draws inspiration from music, movies, art shows, novels, and poetry, especially music and its visual aesthetics. Her process varies: commissions involve a rough croquis stage, while personal work skips sketching and starts directly with line work using a normographe. She values spontaneity in her personal projects. Her work is characterized by crowded scenes with no empty space, such as market stalls and public baths. She wants her audience to feel inspired to draw, calling it her only wish.