Memorias: Joe Wabe Style

Friends and family gathered at Joe Wabe’s opening reception for “Memorias,” which took place on August 10at the PDG gallery in Nongseong-dong.

“Memories are the only real treasure that we can keep forever,” was a statement Wabe gave regarding the Spanish title for his photography exhibit. Many of his black and white shots are currently displayed in the gallery for Memorias which will be running until mid-September.

“Where I come from I can only experience one, super-hot, long season year-round. But in Korea, I went from seeing snow in the winter, emerging flowers in the spring, followed by summer blossoms and the foliage in the fall. The temples and the people, especially [older] people, have all been my main point of inspiration,” Wabe said.

Most of Wabe’s photos consist of the elderly, all from Korea, whom he established some kind of connection with: through a conversation, a helpful gesture or just by chance. And by conversation, yes through Korean, perhaps through English or, if he was lucky enough, Wabe may have stumbled upon a Spanish-speaking Korean.

Trilingual at his finest, Wabe hails from San José, Costa Rica and later resided in the United States, where he studied in Florida and later developed his interest in professional photography.

“One of the first pictures I ever took was during my last year of high school in Miami. It was a black and white photo taken downtown of a homeless guy and his dog. I gave him two dollars for letting me photograph them and it really wasn’t my finest work. The image was out of focus and overexposed. In addition to that, I got into trouble with my art teacher because of it,” said Wabe.

Now a loving husband, respectable father and an intuitive English teacher, Wabe is a busy and productive individual who has traveled extensively throughout Asia. He has captured images consistently for 15 years and been a resident of Gwangju for the last decade.

“Photography is all about sharing a moment. Being able to move someone’s heart and create inspiration [within] others – it becomes a chain reaction. Knowing that I put a smile on other individuals when they look at my photographs gives me more power to continue sharing and creating memories. Korea has been a mother to me, the least I can do is give a little back in return to so much I’ve received,” said Wabe.

His never-ending passion for art, music, culture and photography has inspired Wabe to pursue other side projects, such as covering events for Gwangju News and later beginning his own publication: Art Elemento.

“How we use our brains is not only crucial to our survival, it also determines whether we succeed or fail. Daily inspiration is vital to staying focused, and keeping a healthy brain,” stated Wabe in the 9th edition of Art Elemento. “Remember you are holding in your hands a piece of history. History that was written in Gwangju. Get inspired. Get creative.”

One of the exhibition attendees was a former student of Wabe and said that his former teacher’s work has always been inspiring and has led the student to believe, “anything in life is possible as long as there is room for creativity.”

Brooke Lembke, another attendee stated, “Joe Wabe has the ability to capture an image that could tell a thousand stories. I am truly an admiring fan.”

Monica P. Sawyer Martinez, who is Chicago-born to a Salvadoran mother, stated that her favorite shot was entitled “Primavera.” “The way the image was washed out, you still can see the beauty of the flower. As a Latina here in Gwangju, having a fellow Latino artist show his work is an eye opener because we need different cultures here. We can learn from each other and also see different types of artists, to see what they see through their very own eyes.”

Wabe is not only well known here, but has an incredible presence elsewhere. He has exposed much of his own culture and art fundamentals through his work, projects and individualism.

To see Wabe’s exhibit, the PDG Gallery is right across the street from E-Mart and the Shinsegae Department Store, located near the U-Square Bus Terminal. You can easily see a Mr. Pizza in the same building. Enter through the blue frame doors into the lobby and take the elevator up to the 5thfloor.

460-33 Nongseong-dong,

Dana Medical Arts Building

Gwangju-si, Jeollanam-do