My work explores memory, transformation, and the evolving nature of existence through material-based abstraction. Born on Jeju Island, South Korea, and shaped by migration to California, I draw from experiences of living between places and cultures, where identity continues to unfold through time, relationships, and lived experience.

A return to South Korea while caring for my father became a turning point in my practice. Through this experience, I began to understand making as a process of accumulation—where time, memory, material, and human experience gradually come together. This understanding continues to shape my exploration of how identity and existence are formed through moments of transition, connection, and transformation.

Working with Hanji (traditional Korean mulberry paper), acrylic, and mixed media, I create layered surfaces through repetition, layering, pressing, and physical transformation. Inspired by Korean traditions such as Jogakbo, I explore how separate elements come together while maintaining their own presence. Tearing, creasing, and mark-making reveal the effects of pressure, change, and time.

Light emerges through the material itself rather than through depiction. As Hanji absorbs, reveals, and transforms layers of pigment, subtle shifts in translucency, texture, and depth emerge. From a distance, the work may appear quiet and unified; up close, fibers, ruptures, and traces of process reveal an ongoing dialogue between material, time, and presence.

Through the transformation of fragile yet resilient materials, my work reflects on the dignity of existence—the quiet value of being present within the complexity of human experience. I explore how memory, identity, and connection continue to evolve, and how each transformation contributes to the continual formation of being.