ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a Korean-American oil painter born and raised in Los Angeles, a city that has deeply shaped my understanding of identity, family, and belonging. Growing up between cultures, I became aware of the often-unseen labor carried by women—especially mothers—and the ways love, sacrifice, and resilience are expressed through the rhythms of everyday life. I am drawn to memory and its role within families, where histories are passed down through gestures, routines, and acts of care. Painting has become my way of slowing down and honoring moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Motherhood is the central focus of my recent work, not as an idealized image, but as a lived experience shaped by contemporary realities. Through observation and personal connection, I explore how women inhabit domestic spaces, carry responsibility, and navigate evolving identities within moments that are often private and overlooked. My subjects are frequently friends, neighbors, and members of my community whose stories resonate deeply with my own experiences.
Working in warm, muted palettes, I use light, shadow, and intimate interiors to create a sense of emotional closeness. Domestic spaces often frame my figures, serving not only as physical environments but as extensions of their inner lives. Rendered in a loose realism, the paintings evoke the feeling of memory rather than documentation. I am interested in the emotional complexity of motherhood—the tenderness, exhaustion, strength, and devotion that coexist within a single moment.
As social roles continue to shift, I consider how motherhood intersects with identity, independence, cultural expectations, and personal desire. My work reflects women who carry history while moving forward, balancing tradition and change. Ultimately, my paintings are acts of preservation, honoring the quiet stories, familial bonds, and enduring presence of women whose labor and care shape generations.
