If You Remember Me

​If You Remember Me

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“Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last.
“It’s a little lonely in the desert...”
“It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

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If You Remember Me is a portrait series documenting people I meet while traveling alone.

The more time I spend walking on my own,
the more carefully I begin to observe others.

In unfamiliar cities,
 

I photograph people I spend anywhere from a few minutes to several days with,
recording their expressions and fragments of conversation.

The distance between people is delicate.

Too close, and it blurs;
too far, and it cannot be reached.

I am interested in that in-between space—
where a stranger slowly becomes someone familiar.

 

sometimes, I hand a disposable camera to the people I meet
and ask them to photograph their own lives.

Returning to Korea and waiting for the film to be developed
feels like receiving a letter.

 

I once believed these encounters would remain brief.

But over time, some returned,
and certain connections continued beyond a single meeting.

What began in Tokyo has gradually expanded across different places and people.

 

Through this work,
I try to understand how the distance between us changes over time.