SHOWCASE

/ ARTIST / 2024

BKKIF Artist  
ARTIST: QUEER JELLY
COUNTRY: Korea, Republic of
EMAIL: cnomonc@gmail.com
CONTACT: instagram.com/__queers__
Queer Jelly creates a world where vibrant and diverse characters come to life. This world embodies the love and freedom we've long dreamed of, as well as the unbreakable hope that persists even in the face of fear, alongside a deep connection to nature. Every illustration from Queer Jelly is born to show that even the smallest and most fragile beings deserve respect. Through the worlds we create in our artwork, we connect with one another and reveal our potential to the world.

The Elevator (2022)

"Sometimes, I feel like I’m the only one who doesn't have the mask I need—the appropriate, essential mask to live in this world.

As I continue living this way, I grow accustomed to the loneliness of my bare face.

Eventually, my face itself starts to resemble a mask.

Imagining the true faces of people revealed at their front doors, in their living rooms, or in front of their TV screens, I board the creaking, old elevator once again today."

The Sunflower (2022)

"There are moments when, without thinking, I find myself buying an absurdly large flowerpot on impulse. The only place I can take it to is my small room, which is already cramped with clothes and books, where sunlight barely reaches.

I find myself wishing for a resilient flower that can endure the brief moments of sunlight and the lack of water. Is that a selfish hope?"

Grenadine (2022)

On lonely and difficult evenings, do you have a friend with whom you can honestly share the events of your day? Unfortunately, I don't always have one.
More often, I find myself seeking out a pub where slow music plays, spending time alone.

When I blankly watch the people passing by, my anxieties and worries sometimes start to feel a bit trivial.
And who knows? Perhaps one day, a curious stranger I've never met before will suddenly become a great conversation partner.

The Hunter Baby (2023)

Have you ever faced the outside world with indiscriminate aggression, like the thorns of a cactus surviving in a desert so dry it feels as if no rain will ever come?

The carnivorous plant, with its glamorous appearance, lures people in, but the end of that relationship is rarely pleasant.
The Venus flytrap symbolically reflects how we sometimes project the wounds we believe we've received from the outside world.

Be careful not to fall for disguises!
Especially the ones that come from within yourself.

Venus, Trapped (2020)

“While the media promotes healthy and mature love as if it were a supplement, honestly, I’m not so sure.

Sometimes, love seems more like a hunt.

It starts off like a harmless game of tag for all participants,
but the moment one of them stumbles,
the game ceases to be a mere play.”

The Welcomed Stranger (2020)

“While we are mostly perceived to be in the same space,
some days it feels like we are in completely different dimensions.

An environment that is harmless to some can function like a deadly substance that hinders breathing and harms the mind and body for others.

The feeling of being a perpetual outsider in a place they’ve lived for a long time is very familiar to them. Even a warm greeting can often lead to many misunderstandings.”

The Swallowtail Butterfly (2022)

"In mythology, there are countless transcendental beings with the ability to transform at will. The reason such stories have been created countless times is probably because this is humanity's greatest wish. Tonight, when the full moon rises, you can do whatever you want. If you could have the power to transform, what kind of animal would you want to turn into?

Even though it has fragile wings, I was fascinated by the fact that it undergoes more dramatic changes than any other animal during its life cycle.

I'll be transformed into something, so no one will be able to recognize which one is me."

Doe and John (2023)

You'll probably find these two people standing in a graffiti-covered elevator.

Neighbors living on the upper and lower floors of an old suburban apartment complex;
‘John’ (6F) and ‘Doe’ (7F).

‘John’, who hates the sun and enjoys drinking a certain brand of dark beer, is armed with vintage sunglasses again today.

Sitting next to him is 'Doe', a frog who is dexterous enough to make and wear most of his own clothes.
He alternately applies different colors of nail polish,
Humid morning, rolling cigarettes,
and he says he likes seaweed-flavored potato chips.

Sirens (2021)

Like the siren's song that lured sailors across the blue sea,
An impulse that makes you jump off the deck and into the abyss without hesitation.
Rather than a life that continues without any change
Those moments feel more valuable.
Following the sound of your heart-
Your fate is waiting at the end
crashing into a cliff
Even if it's just a wave.

The Feast (2022)

"This time, we will tell the story of the king who rules the world of the dead and Persephone, who was invited.

When they first met, they were not very friendly to each other, but when Persephone couldn't overcome her hunger and tasted food from the underworld, they formed a lasting relationship.

In this way, human desires often become the key to controlling fate. When a new season comes, fully ripened fruits fall to the ground, turn into seeds, and then grow again as new sprouts. Emotions are constantly being born again from our hearts.

Even if you get rolled over, trampled, and bruised, it is a feeling that continues to grow the following year as if there is nothing you can do about it."