[Translated][INTERVIEW] How Pain Shapes Art and Art Shapes Healing: A Conversation with Picture Books Artist Jung-soon Go
2025-09-16
Jung-soon Go is a Picture Book writer and illustrator. Her works are aimed at both children and adults, telling realistic and painful stories in a simple, warm style that inspires hope amid hardships. She struggled with dyslexia as a child and found comfort in poetry and picture books with few words, which drove her to create and appreciate simple moments and everyday stories. Her works include Raise Your Fist, Spring Dream, Okchundang Candy, and others. Okchundang Candy was recently translated into English this year. It tells the story of her grandparents’ love until death. Thanks to the warmth and authenticity of her works, the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles selected her for a special exhibition to introduce visitors to Korean picture books, and organized a special talk with her on September 6 and 7 about Okchundang Candy.
This article explores her artistic journey and the art of Korean picture books.
The interview was conducted via email between September 1 and September 13. The following are excerpts from it.
Could you tell us more about your beginnings? What drew you into poetry and picture books? And, how did your experience with dyslexia in early years shape your relationship with reading and writing?
As a child, I couldn’t read or write. I felt like the whole world was whispering to each other without me, and it was very frustrating. Maybe my desire to read became a source of pressure. But thanks to kind friends and a patient family, I gradually improved.
That’s why the first words I read weren’t sentences but scattered words. Long texts were hard for me, so I loved short poems. Picture books are very similar to poetry, so when I studied them on my own, I often went back to poetry collections. For me, poetry books were my textbooks.
Can you tell us more details about your upcoming collaboration with the KCC in LA? Also, can you introduce your picture book, Okchundang Candy? What inspired you to write it?
The Korean Cultural Center contacted me. They wanted to introduce local audiences in Los Angeles to Korean children’s books, so they chose one that had been translated into English. Since the book festival would be held in a public park, they wanted to use the opportunity to showcase Korean culture.
Okchundang Candy is the story of my grandparents. They loved each other deeply. My grandfather passed away first, then my grandmother developed dementia, and after a long struggle, she passed too. Through this book, I wanted to tell their love story and reflect the human journey of joy and sorrow.
You often discuss dark or difficult themes in your books in a simple and hopeful way. How do you balance darkness and hope in your works? Elaborate specifically on your book, Okchundang Candy.
While working on Okchundang Candy, I thought: Why do people get sick and die? In the limited time we have, what can comfort our fears? The word that came to me was love.
I believed love was the only salvation. My grandparents lived their lives in mutual love, overcoming the wounds of war. Even after losing her husband, my grandmother endured the pain by recalling memories of him. I think I start with anxiety, sorrow, and pain because I want to ultimately arrive at hope.
In your opinion, how can literature help us deal with our feelings? And how did your philosophy as a writer develop over the years?
I used to be very pessimistic, sometimes even wishing everything would just end. But I realized that people keep working, loving, and living day by day. Doing your best in the time you are given is the essence of being human.
Maybe I’ve become a patient pessimist or a complaining optimist, if that makes sense. For me, literature is like the sun that warms a gloomy person like me, even if I sometimes melt under its strong rays. The greatest gift literature has given me is warm, precise, and honest words of comfort.
In your opinion, what makes a picture book unique and different? And how does its writing process differ from other literary forms?
Picture books combine text and image. It’s not enough for the text to be excellent or the illustrations to be stunning; the two must harmonize. I think this harmony is the essence of the art. It’s not just for great writers or talented illustrators; it’s a form that demands integration.
Among your works, what is the closest to you and why?
Raise Your Fist holds a special place in my heart. It tells the story of a boxer who falls again and again but always gets back up. I myself suffer from a chronic illness that causes me severe physical pain. I wrote this book during one of my most painful times, but it was also my most hopeful story. It was a testament to my ability to rise again.
What are your main sources of inspiration? Do you have a specific writing routine or tricks?
I draw a lot of inspiration from literature and cinema, but my biggest source is people. People give me hope and joy, as well as sadness and despair. Humanity is my greatest book. We love and make mistakes, feel guilt, and live in conflict between good and evil. All of this feeds my creativity.
What guides your visual palette? Do you start by visualizing the idea, or do your writings inspire the illustrations?
Which artists or illustrators have influenced your style?
Sometimes I draw first, then write, sometimes the opposite. It depends on the story. The artists who influenced me most are the painter Rousseau and the pianist Glenn Gould. Both lived intensely in their inner worlds. I admire artists who are fully immersed in their art.
In your opinion, how has Korean literature developed in recent years? And what difficulties do you still face as a writer?
The world is paying increasing attention to Korean literature, and I myself find inspiration in it. I think it has become less rigid and more open to diverse themes told from different perspectives. The biggest challenge, however, is the drastic decline in the number of readers.
What are your upcoming plans for your career?
I don’t have big plans. I live in Paju, a border area in Korea, where I run a small library. Because of my health, I can’t travel much, so I prefer to continue my conversations with books and visitors here. The library carries my name, Library Jung-soon Go, given by my grandfather. Here I read diligently and try to continue my creative work.
Hope always emerges from suffering. Life is a unique blend of both, and we must value our daily lives with their simple details, joys, and sorrows. Picture Books are a gentle pause that invites us to reflect on those moments through warm, simple stories like the works of the inspiring artist Jung-soon Go, who transformed pain into a source of hope for others.
Keywords:
Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Korean literature, comics, Okchundang Candy, Korea Net, Republic of Korea
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