If You Remember Me

If You Remember Me is a portrait series documenting people I meet while traveling alone. It explores how strangers become familiar, how relationships continue beyond a journey, and what remains beyond my understanding.

“Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last.
“It’s a little lonely in the desert…”
“It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake.
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

If You Remember Me is a portrait series documenting the people
I meet while traveling alone.

The more time I spend walking alone, the more carefully I observe people. In unfamiliar cities, I photograph the expressions of those I spend anywhere from a few minutes to several days with, along with the conversations we share.

The distance between people is delicate. Too close, and it blurs,
too far, and it cannot be reached. I am interested in that in-between distance the moment when a stranger slowly becomes someone familiar.

Sometimes I want to see through their eyes. I hand them a disposable camera and ask them to take photos freely for a few days. Returning to Korea and waiting for the film to be developed feels like receiving a letter.

At first, I thought these encounters would end quickly. But later, some people came to find me again, and I realized that some connections continue beyond a single meeting.

What began in Tokyo has gradually expanded across different places, people, and time. As it continues, I begin to see more and less difference between us.