My interest in the comma began in early 2024 at the Frans Masereel Centrum, where I spent five weeks in residency.

One day, I decided to experiment with letterpress printing to create advertisements for my company, Gran’ Tools Supply, which designs and produces sculptures that function as tools for working grandmothers. I was unsure what to include in the ads beyond the company name and my phone number. While searching through drawers of type, I came across commas. Their shape resembled the farming tools I create and also signified a pause or break.

While researching the history of commas, I found that they were developed to indicate pauses in text and evolved from a simple dot, which originally represented a full stop. Misreading part of the text, I visualized the comma as a dot with a small, pointed extension anchored to the ground. This led me to consider whether the pointed end was a foot or a tail. Initially, I thought of it as a foot but questioned this assumption. After asking ChatGPT, I received the answer that it was a tail, though I remained uncertain.

This idea informed the creation of a Yutnori board, a traditional Korean board game that has been played for over six centuries. The board represents the lunar cycle, the four seasons, and community interactions. Typically played on New Year’s Day by two teams, my version features Team Tail Comma versus Team Foot Comma, reflecting this conceptual exploration.