BIOGRAPHY
I was born in Busan, South Korea and spent most of my childhood in a natural setting enjoying the ocean, mountains and countryside. This rich, beautiful and natural environment inspired me to start making art. Since these early days, nature has been a huge part of my life and inspiration as an artist.
I majored in food science, but I chose a different profession, a floral designer, expressing my creativity through floral designs. After I moved to New York City in the late 20s, I developed and expanded creative talents to window display installations using some of the most beautiful elements in nature. In order to make unique window display installations, I started including my paintings and drawings into the installation sets, and this was a new beginning of my art journey.
For several years, I have produced floral arrangements for Le Bernardin restaurant – 3-star Michelin - and Rainbow Room among other illustrious venues in New York City on a weekly basis. My window display installation art sets were presented at Beretta Madison Ave Gallery, and Oxxford Clothes on Fifth Ave. In addition, my floral installation art set for the holidays’ decoration designed for Le Bernardin was mentioned as " The Most Beautiful Holiday Decorations in 2017” in Architectural Digest.
My works were featured at several renowned galleries in New York City. One of my drawings 'Serenity No.1' was selected as a winner of 9th Artslant Prize in drawing category. Also my painting, 'The Universe in a Leaf No.3' was featured 2021 summer cover of the Artlines magazine - WCA(Women's Caucus for Art)'s biannual publication. Two paintings, ‘The Universe in a Leaf No.8 and No.9 were selected to be exhibited at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum – exclusively for members only - April 10 – 15, 2022.
Childhood
- Explored nature
- Enjoyed doodling and painting using watercolors and crayons
Teenage years
- Drew manga comics
In my 20's
- Passionate about food styling and floral designs
- Moved to New York City
In my 30's
- Professional floral designer
- Expanded my creativity to window display installations using natural materials and my artworks.
- Produce artworks using various mediums
ARTIST STATEMENT
I aim to present a stimulating mixture of nature viewed from my vivid imagination and emotional expression.
Whether in colorful abstract works or visual interpretation of nature both infused with emotional imagery, my works demonstrate keen attention to the smallest detail in order to emphasize the depth of expression and emotive beauty of nature. This combination helps bring the audience to a different world, a stage for viewing scenery in an emotionally evocative way. While viewing my works, the artist's visual expression and subsequent interpretation by the audience merge and go hand in hand to evoke a memory, a passion, or a feeling unique to each of us.
My current surrealism paintings represent an appreciation of my daily experiences generating gratitude and vibrant emotions.
The Universe in a Leaf and Apex painting series invites audience to a living world of cells celebrating their existence. I was inspired by the fact that a single cell is at the origin of all life. From that moment on, a cell goes on to reproduce, duplicate, split and literally explode full of joyful life and energy.
Emotions-19 Series focuses on positive emotions that we might have forgotten for a while, such as love, joy, comfort and gratitude. Working on this series during the Covid-19 pandemic, I was constantly reminded of these comforting, positive feelings.
In Serenity, Metamorphosis Drawing Series, the level of fine details and depth in each drawing aims to capture nature in many different and transformative forms, demonstrating my curiosity and the eye for the unique beauty that nature has to offer.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
- 2022 'Art Exchange America & Japan, members only' Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art curated by Julienne Johnson from April 10th - 15th.
- 2021 Market Art & Design The Hamptons Art Fair
- 2020 Art Series IX "Real, Surreal scape & Contemporary Abstractions" at Studio Anise in Soho, NYC
- 2020 "She is..." at One Art Space in Tribeca, NYC
- 2019 Spatial Transformations Part 1,2,3 & "Painting vs Drawing" at Studio Anise in Soho, NYC
- 2019 Winter Group Shows Part 2 at Onishi Gallery in Chelsea, NYC
- 2019 Group show at NAWA (National Association of Women Artists) in NYC
- 2018 Off The Wall at Plaxall Gallery in Long Island City, NY
- 2018 ARTIF ACTS at One Art Space in Tribeca, NYC
- 2018 Benefit Auction at The Drawing Center, NYC
- 2018 Eternal Summer at One Art Space in Tribeca, NYC
- 2018 Transformation at One Art Space in Tribeca, NYC
- 2018 Drawing 2017, an exhibition of 20 international artists at Gallery 25N
- 2017 Making Connections ll at The City Deford Gallery(Citigroup Building) in Long Island City,NY
- 2017 Making connections at The Plaxall Gallery in Long Island City, NY
- 2017 Winner of Drawing category : 9th Artslant Prize
- 2017 IGOA gallery, Theme "Anima l& wildlife"
- 2017 Projekt 30, Monthly Exhibition in May and July
- 2017 Bauhausprairie art gallery, Theme "Abstract" and "Artist's favorite work"
- 2016 Honorable Mentions : IGOA (www.international-gallery.org) Art-open "No Theme"
- 2016 Projekt 30, Monthly Exhibition in October and November