“Memories in Chroma” © 2026, Sean Hur

As a Korean student attending a boarding school in the United States, I often felt as though I stood out on my own in unfamiliar environments. Differences in language, culture, and daily routines made it difficult for me to blend in naturally. Even when surrounded by others, I sometimes felt out of place, as if I did not fully belong to the space I was in.

This feeling was not simply loneliness, but a sense that the rhythm between myself and my surroundings was slightly misaligned. Rather than trying to erase this discomfort, I began to think about how I could adapt to it. During this process, I became interested in the way marine animals use camouflage. For creatures like octopuses, camouflage is not only a way to hide, but an active response to their environment.

In this self-portrait, I present myself not as someone who disappears or isolates completely, but as someone who is constantly adjusting to a new environment. I may not fully merge with my surroundings, but I continue to interact with them and search for balance.

Sean Hur is a student at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. His work explores themes of transformation, ecological cycles, and the persistence of form beyond disappearance. Drawing inspiration from natural processes such as decomposition and regeneration, he examines how energy and matter continue to circulate rather than end.

Working across image-making and material experimentation, he often deconstructs and reconstructs visual elements to reflect shifts in state, memory, and structure. His practice investigates how forms can be altered yet remain connected to their origins, emphasizing continuity within change. Through this approach, he seeks to visualize invisible systems—both biological and conceptual—that shape the way life, matter, and meaning evolve over time.