A surreal world of fantasy from the mind of Julie Unchu Song, a graduate student of illustration at Cal State Long Beach, will illuminate the corporate offices of Windes for the next six months.
Song’s drawing titled “One Full Moon Night,” received the Windes Corporate Gallery Award.
Windes, a Southern California accounting and consulting firm with 88 years in business, presents the award biannually to a graduate student in the Student Art Program at CSULB.
“I [am] very glad that I could have a chance to share my most favorite piece with people off campus,” said Song via email.
Song said she worked on the graphite black and white piece for approximately two months.
She said that much of her inspiration comes from her childhood fantasies from when she lived in South Korea, she often blends fantasy with everyday environments.
“When I look at the full moon in the dark sky, I think of fishes and sea horses swimming by clouds. I imagine different sizes of trees greeting me like people when I walk in a deep forest,” Song said. “Although I live in a normal routine, fantasies make me feel like I am living in a make-believe world, and they give me joy, inspiration and vitality every day.”
She said that places such as her room, a forest, her backyard and even a simple closet could act like a canvas for images.
“She pretty much [has] stuck to this subject matter of fantasy,” said art professor Robin Richesson, who is the head of Illustration at CSULB. “She also did a book about a little girl having a dream. A lot of this imagery also relates to that book she did.”
Robin mentioned that Song is a sweet and quite person, and while her process is slow, her work is always “meticulous.”
She also said that while she did not push Song to submit for this particular award, the arts program is always glad to hear of their students’ achievements and encourage students to submit their works for competitions.
John Di Carlo, managing partner of Windes, said in a press release that he was pleased to recognize Julie’s work with this award. He said he hopes employees and visitors alike will enjoy her work at their corporate headquarters.
“‘One Full Moon Night’ is a technically detailed and impressive piece,” DiCarlo said. “The surreal landscape is thought-provoking and invites the viewer to explore the visual juxtaposition of an abandoned building façade with childhood images of sea creatures and circus animals.”
The title of Song’s drawing comes from a Korean superstition she said she remembers from her childhood in which a full moon turns dreams into reality.
Song expects to complete her graduate degree in the fall. She is currently interning at Leftbank Art, where she is working on watercolor paintings, and said she dreams of being a great illustrator when she completes her studies.
“I want to give people a little pleasure by using my imagination to illustrate my fantasies based on ordinary places,” Song said. “I think that any part of daily life can be used as a resource.”
To see more of Song’s work visit joooliesong.tumblr.com.