Sena Park

Ko wai koe?
I was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. I am a painter and make small things.

Where are you living right now?
I’m currently in Paihia. Since 2018, I’ve been living between Paihia, Auckland, and other places, depending on opportunities that come up.

What do you do and why do you do it?
I am a painter, but have recently felt the need for change to engage more openly with my audience. That led me to work with objects. Lately, I have been experimenting with moving image and sensory-based approaches. I am drawn to situations that make me to rethink my practice—working in unfamiliar, unplanned, and unexpected conditions. I seek opportunities through artist residencies and themed open calls. While writing proposals in response to new environments, my thoughts often shift to new directions. I love it even though it brings tons of rejection. I try to avoid being fixed in the same form or place. I may not dig deeply into one subject or medium. But I continue this way of working to sustain my curiosity.

What are you working on at the moment?
I am still making and collecting for the upcoming show at Enjoy. I will keep making until the show opens.

What is your earliest memory in an art gallery?
I don’t have a strong early memory about an art gallery. If I recall my first moment being aware of something special about the art field, I would like to say it was when I was waiting for my friend to get out of their art class after my piano lesson. I still remember the atmosphere of that moment. Not long after, I got kicked out from the piano class by the tutor and happily enrolled in the art class instead.

Do you listen to music when making? Who is your favourite musician right now?
Yes! I usually start with random playlists on YouTube when beginning a new project. From there, I select a few songs and listen to them on repeat until that project is finished. For the Enjoy exhibition, my choice of musicians are the Korean bands ‘Day 6’ and ‘Baek Nyon-phil’.

Is there an artwork that changed the way you view the world?
I wouldn’t say Isa Genzken and Jessica Stockholder changed my view of the world, but their works did shift my perspective on my art making, helping me step forward from two dimensional painting to spatial painting.

If you had one wish for the art world, what would it be?
Honestly, I’ve never really thought about that. I might be a bit selfish. I usually just focus on what I can do with my art for myself and the people around me, not the art world at large.