A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T

Rooted in the landscapes of Jeju Island and shaped by the journey of migration to California, my work engages with the emotional and material language of the Korean diaspora. I create layered abstractions that weave nature, culture, and faith into textured surfaces—spaces where personal history meets universal questions of belonging and resilience. Through Hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper, graphite, oil pastel, and thread, I work in a slow, meditative process of layering, scratching, and tearing that transforms material into a site of healing and reflection.

My practice is deeply shaped by the landscapes of my childhood in Jeju and my migration story—from a traditional South Korean upbringing shaped by strict cultural expectations to a spiritually grounded life in the United States. The interplay of fragility and strength in Hanji becomes a metaphor for resilience. Layer by layer, I deconstruct and reconstruct its fibers, building textured abstract compositions that hold the imprint of natural memory, cultural experience, and spiritual renewal.

I draw inspiration from American Abstract Expressionists such as Barnett Newman and Agnes Martin. Yellow golden vertical lines in my work evoke divine light, while shades of blue and green recall the oceans, skies, and fields of Jeju and California—places of both childhood wonder and adult reflection. Through this language of form and color, I transform inner struggles into quiet revelations, offering viewers a contemplative space to encounter the spiritual dimension of art.