South Korean artist Jinjoo Jo's illustrations in the 'Blue Anger' series merge cuteness with discomfort, reflecting human-nature interactions through the metaphor of insects. Initiated in response to the Nth Room cybersex crime case, the works depict young girls amidst large, unsettling insects, channeling the artist's feelings of anger and despair towards the exploitation of minors. The series serves both as a personal processing of trauma and a tribute to victims, evolving to also portray the girls reclaiming agency through interactions with the natural world, illustrating an arc from victimization to empowerment.
I have always loved nature, but in this series, I chose to use insects as a metaphor for predators. The young girls stare straight ahead as insects swarm around them.
At the time, I was overwhelmed by anger and despair... The case involved the sexual exploitation of at least 70 underage victims, who were subjected to abuse both online and offline.
Blue Anger serves as a way to process the energy-draining emotion, in a sense creating a kind of tribute to the young people who were victimized.
Recent works diverge from the theme of insect-as-predator, reverting control to the young girls who instead commune in a pond with a larger-than-life moth.
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