CREATING UNIQUE PORTRAITS

[Anchor Lead]

Artists who strive to stand out from others are always on the lookout for ingenuous ideas and artistic techniques. Next we're meeting with a young artist who creates the portraits of famous people using clothespins instead of a brush.

[Pkg]

Freddie Mercury of the legendary rock band Queen... His image of singing passionately in front of a microphone is portrayed in this art piece. From "the immortal rebel" James Dean to the first black U.S. president Barack Obama -- these portraits seem ordinary at a glance. But a closer look reveals that they were made of countless pins. These art pieces were created with clothespins instead of a brush and paint.

[Soundbite] JI YONG(PIN ARTIST) : "People get surprised when they find out that my work is created with clothespins. It's a good way to communicate."

The artist came up with the idea of using clothespins a few years ago when he was looking for more creative materials for his works. The artist first cuts out the shape of the object on a steel board that serves as a canvas. He then places a layer of styrofoam and inserts pins as close to each other as possible. It takes about 80,000 clothespins to make a piece measuring 60 centimeters on each side.

[Soundbite] JI YONG(PIN ARTIST) : "My hands swell a lot and I get blisters. It's hard but I forget about everything when it's completed. The feeling of elation makes me forget about everything."

This artist has turned a repetitive, grueling process into a means of psychological healing. Some 30 pieces of his work will be on display until this Friday at a gallery in downtown Seoul.