“The Uncontainable” © 2026, Yongjun Kim.

In this work, the tiled roof of traditional architecture frames the sky into a single rectangle. The curves and order formed by the watercolor-rendered roof tiles are beautiful, giving the world within the frame a familiar and recognizable shape. Yet even within this bounded view of the sky, the clouds never stop moving. No framework can truly contain what is constantly in motion.

This work does not reject tradition itself. Rather, it speaks of the ability to step back and observe the contours of the perspectives we have been given, instead of accepting them unquestioningly. The moment we become aware of the sky that has been framed and divided, we are already imagining what lies beyond it. Looking back is not an act of denial, but the beginning of possibility.

The sky visible between the roof tiles remains vast, and the clouds continue on their way toward somewhere unknown. One can only hope that our gaze, too, may move just as freely.


Yongjun Kim is a Year 11 student at NLCS Jeju with a strong interest in architecture and design, exploring how spaces are experienced and reimagined through observation and material understanding.

His works examine balance, harmony, and structure within traditional Korean architecture, while also questioning the limits of fixed perspectives. In The Uncontainable, the tiled roof frames the sky into a defined shape, yet the moving clouds resist confinement. This contrast reflects the tension between structure and freedom.

These works explore themes of hope and possibility by suggesting that even within established systems or boundaries, there is always movement beyond them. Recognizing the frame allows us to imagine what lies outside it—where new perspectives, ideas, and futures can emerge.