How did you make your pseudonym?

  Now, I’m known as ‘Yakchikii(remedy) paintings’ in SNS, but the original name was Yangchikii(shepherd). I am a modern artist, formally known as Yang Kyung-soo, I draw modern Buddhist art and take pictures. However, I had to think of my pseudonym because, if I use my SNS nickname as my pseudonym, many people and I will go through identity confusion. Therefore, I thought of funny words that begin with my surname, Yang, and finally I decided to name myself ‘Yangchikii’s Saki-chikii(shepherd remedies himself)’. However, people didn’t understand the meaning of ‘Saki’ because it is Chinese, so I changed the name to ‘Yakchikii(remedy) paintings’. The word Yakchikki is a pun: it is a homonym, which also means spraying pesticide, so the word touches people’s hearts although they tend to misunderstand its actual meaning.


When did you start Buddhist art?

  I thought Buddhist art or traditional art didn’t fit me. I’ve always liked something trendy for a long time, so I felt Western arts were really cool, and that naturally led me to choose Occidental Painting as my major. I drew paintings in a poor half-basement and I could earn barely enough money to live on, so I decided to change my job. Meanwhile, webtoons were very famous, so I decided to draw a webtoon. However, I soon realized that it would be better if I drew what people usually did not. Thus, I thought of Buddhist art and studied Buddhism a lot. Although I wasn’t a well-known person in the Buddhist community, people started to recognize me as the first Buddhist artist. Recently, I exhibited my paintings in the Netherlands National Museum, and I was the only Korean who was invited.



Where do you get inspiration from?

   I usually get ideas from things surrounding me. I meet and interview a number of people and when inspiration comes across my mind, I always take memos in my smartphone. I take pictures a lot, make collages with them and write something in my notebook when I find punchlines. It is really helpful that I used to write rap rhymes before. I often download subscription-based soulless pictures from internet sites because it’s my work to put funny phrases on normal pictures. I aim to provoke people’s laughter with the inconsistency of images and letters in my works.



Did you ever want to give up and how did you overcome it?

  In fact, most art-lovers start loving art naturally when they scribble in their textbooks. People usually think that they will be able to do other jobs anytime when they quit their jobs. However, people who choose art keep their desires for it even if they choose another job. Therefore, while doing some tough work, I always thought, ‘I can learn something here, too’, and I kept the blind faith that ‘the day I can draw all day long will come.’
  When Park Sang-yeong, who won at fencing in the most recent Olympics, said, “I can do it, I can do it.” I felt sympathy for him. When I hypnotize myself by saying, “I’m really good at it.” it always gives me energy. Successful people always tell typical stories because those are actually right. If you really work hard and keep up with your work, you will achieve your goal in the end.

By Choi Ji-su  js36@cbnu.ac.kr
By Hong Ye-ha  yh37@cbnu.ac.kr