“Endangered Home,” YooJung Shin, 2023

I read an article that says that the Earth has suffered five mass extinctions so far and that the sixth mass extinction is now underway. Among them, the sixth mass extinction is the extinction caused by humans, and the speed is progressing faster than the previous mass extinctions. Through my work, I wanted to show that such man-made disasters will eventually return to us, humans. In the work, the ‘Giant Shield Snail’, a measure of mass extinction, replaces one’s home. A home is a place of protection, stability, and relaxation and these homes are being destroyed by man-made things, and all living creatures, including small mollusks, large animals, and even humans, are affected. A dying shark appears behind the girl and snail, to dramatically depict the current situation through the appearance of how even strong predators are rapidly disappearing and being designated as endangered species.

Yoojung Shin is a sophomore attending Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts. She is interested in the concept of restoration and its relationship to the human body, and is expanding her experiences with art. Recently, she received the Innovator Award from the Conrad Challenge and Gold Key Awards in the Film and Animation and Design categories from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.