Welcome to the 7th issue of the Vibes and Vistas K-Art magazine and the final chapter in our four-part series exploring the lives and works of Korean transnational artists. In this issue, we delve into the world of abstraction. At first glance, the works of the ten artists featured here seem to defy easy interpretation and invite contemplation. But look closer, and you will find layers of meaning beneath the surface, shaped by cultural crossings, personal histories, and the unseen forces of transnational experiences. In many respects, abstraction mirrors the lives of these artists. It resists fixed definitions, evolves across time and space, and holds multitudes within a single composition. We challenge you to join them as they go beyond what is immediately visible. To immerse in narratives of displacement, adaptation, and identity with an open mind. To navigate the complexities of belonging as it plays out creatively across borders, and engage with new possibilities as they materialize on the page along the way.
STEWART COLLINS Editor-in-Chief
vibesnvistas.com vibesnvistas
HYOJIN KIM
WAITING FOR HOME
Hyojin Kim’s art is a journey through uncertainty and longing, exploring the concept of waiting as an active search for something intangible. This is evident in her Catching and Grabbing and Shape of Light series, where she reflects on an experience of struggling to capture the harsh midday sunlight as it slipped through her fingers. This pursuit of the elusive is central to her art practice, as she uses the canvas to explore the emotional landscapes of transnational existence.
The Place Where Jinny Is #5 (2022). Acrylic on Canvas. 97 x 260.6cm.
Acrylic on Paper. 50 x 40cm.
CATCHING AND GRABBING #13 (2022)
FOR HYOJIN, WAITING AND LONGING ARE TIED TO MULTICULTURAL TENSIONS AND FEELINGS OF DISPLACEMENT. THROUGH HER WORKS, SHE SPEAKS TO THE FEELING OF EXISTING BETWEEN PARALLEL WORLDS, NEVER FULLY AT HOME IN EITHER, YET CONSTANTLY RECONCILING FACETS OF THE TWO. THIS IS A BURDEN KNOWN TO MANY LIKE HER, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE HOPE THAT SOMETHING MEANINGFUL WILL EMERGE AMIDST THE CHAOS OF FRAGMENTED IDENTITIES AND TRANSIENT LOCATIONS.
Acrylic on Canvas. 73 x 60.5cm.
SHAPE OF LIGHT #2 (2024)
Hyojin’s One Scene series, which began with casual meanderings around Han River Park in Seoul, expands this exploration of isolation and connection. In that moment, she was taken back to the fleeting yet powerful moment when she spotted a deer in Dusseldorf, symbolizing the complex pathways many migrants traverse, full of unknowns and hidden emotions, yet pulsating precariously with the vague possibility of connection.
Acrylic and Paper Collage on Canvas. 130.5 x 97cm.
ONE SCENE (2024)
GIVE (2024). Acrylic and Paper Collage on Canvas. 97 x 130.5cm.
Acrylic and Paper Collage on Canvas. 116.5 x 91cm.
PARALLEL LINES (2024)
Hyojin’s layering of materials is an act of excavation and discovery. Her initial brushstrokes, often marked by deep charcoal, reflect her initial anxiety about confronting the blank canvas. As she works, new forms begin to emerge from the darkness and reveal glimmers of meaning. The sudden bursts of light on her canvases further evoke the ephemerality of hope and connection, brief moments of clarity that fade just as quickly as they appear. While this dynamic reflects the sense of impermanence felt by those destined to carry the weight of multiple identities and cultural expectations, it also encourages viewers to boldly embark on their own negotiation of self, place, and the spaces in-between.
Acrylic and Paper Collage on Board. 21 x 21cm
BLINDING LIGHTS (2023)
MI-JIN CHUN
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF IDENTITY
Mi-Jin Chun’s artistic vision is deeply rooted in her architectural background and engagement with the works of Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Carlo Scarpa. These masters of spatial composition have shaped her understanding of light, materiality, and structural balance. Equally influenced by abstract painters such as Julie Mehretu, Albert Oehlen, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and Mark Rothko, she views space, color and form not as static visual elements, but as dynamic forces capable of conveying depth, movement, and emotion in meaningful ways.
Acrylic on Canvas. 100 x 100 cm.
SCATTERING #1 (2022)
INTERNAL VIBRATION (2024)
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Growing up in South Korea, Mi-Jin nurtured an appreciation for the harmony between tradition and modernity, with concepts like ‘emptiness’ and ‘balance’ shaping her artistic sensibility. Her architectural studies in Germany exposed her to structural and functional approaches, refining her spatial awareness. In Italy, where she has developed much of her recent work, she became attuned to the intricate interplay between materials, color, light, and space within historical contexts. These experiences have broadened her understanding of identity and its capacity to form and reform at the intersection of personal experiences and shifting environments.
Mixed Media on Paper. 56 x76 cm.
NEVERTHELESS, THE MOSS GROWS #1 (2023)
Sogno Ricorrente (2024). Acrylic on Canvas. 100 x 140 cm.
AT THE HEART OF MI-JIN’S ART IS THE EXPLORATION OF WHAT SHE CALLS THE “TENSION BETWEEN EXISTENCE AND FLOW.” THIS PERSPECTIVE IS CENTRAL TO HER TRANS IN TRANCE SERIES, EXHIBITED IN SOUTH KOREA. THROUGH THE LAYERING AND ALTERATION OF COLORS AND SHAPES, THE SERIES VISUALIZES THE WAY IDENTITY ACCUMULATES, MERGES, AND CONFIGURES OVER TIME.
Acrylic on Canvas. 120 x 120 cm.
SCHWEBENDE WAHRNEHMUNG I (2024)
Acrylic on Canvas. 55 x 46 cm.
SHARED BREATH (2025)
Her Milanese installation Morphorama (2024) expands on this idea by using a modular system that continuously reshapes itself within the space. As viewers navigate the installation, their movements influence their interpretations, reinforcing the notion that identity, like the artwork itself, is forever in flux and subject to change. By allowing the audience to physically and emotionally engage with the work, Morphorama mirrors the ongoing, and ultimately universal process of self-discovery.
Acrylic on Canvas. 120 x 80 cm.
FLUID SERENITY (2024)
Morphorama (2024). Paper, Wood, and Metal.
160 x 80 x 120 cm.
JEE PARK
THREADS OF CONNECTION
The passing of Jee Park’s father set her on a path of reflection that intensified during the pandemic. Witnessing the rise in violence against Asian Americans left her with a lingering sense of displacement, making her question where she truly belonged. America had been home, but at that moment, it felt more hostile and unwelcoming than ever before. “Representation matters,” she points out, “but just as important is the freedom to tell our story and define ourselves on our own terms.”
Self Potrait (2023). Print on Optica Paper. 182.9 x 121.9cm. Miami, Florida. Photo by Francesco Casale.
Jee’s exploration of identity is not confined to a single culture or place. Her childhood memories of South Korea are certainly tied to family, tradition, and nostalgia, but America remains the land where she has built a life, a community, and a sense of self. For Jee, home is where she feels safe, where she feels at liberty to express her true colors without judgment or repercussions.
Various Fabrics on Wood Panel. 43.2 x 33cm.
DEAR SOMEONE (2020)
Mixed Media on Paper. 40 x 32.4cm.
VALUE (2017)
THE MATERIALS SHE SELECTS SPEAK TO THIS EMOTIONAL AND CULTURAL DUALITY, CARRYING A COMBINATION OF HISTORY, PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND COLLECTIVE MEMORY. THE SUUI, A TRADITIONAL HEMP GARMENT USED IN BURIAL RITES, REPRESENTS LOVE, REVERENCE, AND REMEMBRANCE. BY INCORPORATING IT INTO HER ART, SHE TRANSFORMS IT FROM A SYMBOL OF FINALITY INTO AN ONGOING DISCOURSE ABOUT LOSS, CONNECTION, AND BELONGING. COMBINING THE SUUI’S STRING, SLEEVES, AND FABRIC ELEMENTS WITH EVERYDAY MATERIALS LIKE PILLOWCASES, SHE IS ABLE TO PULL THE COVERS ON IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES, THE LONGING FOR HOME, AND THE SHEER RESILIENCE OF DIASPORA COMMUNITIES.
Mixed Media on Paper. 40 x 32.4cm.
KIND WORDS (2017)
3.16.21 (2021). Stitched Fabric on Wood Stretcher. 182.9 x 152.4cm.
Chrystie Street_Detail 1 (2023). Mixed Media Installation. Dimensions Variable. Miami, Florida. Photo by Francesco Casale.
JEE’S SOLO EXHIBITION CLOSE TO HOME (2023) WAS A POWERFUL MEDITATION ON MEMORY, TRAUMA, AND HEALING. DEDICATED TO ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO HAD BEEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING CHRISTINA YUNA LEE, THE SHOW EXAMINED THE DEVASTATING REALITY OF BEING OTHERED AND TARGETED CLOSE TO HOME. THROUGH SUCH EXHIBITIONS, JEE REASSERTS THE RIGHT TO BELONG, CHALLENGES ERASURE, AND HONORS THOSE WHOSE LIVES AND SPIRITS WERE EXTINGUISHED BEFORE THEIR TIME.
Jee Park’s Studio.
Chrystie Street_Detail 2 (2023). Mixed Media Installation. Dimensions Variable. Miami, Florida. Photo by Francesco Casale.
For Jee, art is a mode of expression and a space for healing. During an artist talk at her Miami solo show, she shared her personal experiences of grief and displacement. The response was immediate and deeply moving. Audience members, many of whom had never spoken openly about their own losses, felt compelled to share their stories. What had begun as a strictly artistic discussion became an intimate, collective moment of catharsis. More than anything, Jee wants her creativity to remind people that they are never alone, that their lived experiences matter, and that home is ultimately a feeling we all continue to search for and redefine.
Print on Optica Paper. 35.6 x 27.9cm (each).
HOLDING, FOLDING, OPENING (2023) Miami, Florida. Photo by Francesco Casale.
SUYEON SEO
TO EACH THEIR OWN STYLE
Born and raised in South Korea, SuYeon Seo’s early notions of home were grounded in a fixed, unchanging space. After relocating to Sweden, however, her concept of home began to stretch and shift, much like the abstract forms that grace her canvas. Indeed, her distinctly cultural and personal compositions reconstruct and rearrange existing realities into something new and positively brimming with possibility.
Acrylic on Cotton Canvas. 80 x 60cm.
COTTON CANDY CLOUD (2023)
Sweden’s rich historical landscapes and cultural diversity has expanded SuYeon’s perceptions of the world. While there, she has incorporated inspiration on the ground with compositional techniques learned in South Korea, merging elements of the self with its external surroundings to establish a harmonious, interconnected whole. Guided by the quintessential forces of adaptability and flexibility, her creative practice synthesizes the old and the new, the familiar and the foreign, encapsulating her transnational experience without explicitly dividing her primary cultural reference points in two.
Acrylic on Cotton Canvas. 100 x 70cm.
MORNING SUN (2023)
Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Raw Cotton. 125 x 125cm.
MY ROSES (2024)
The Place Where You Are (2024). Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Raw Cotton. 140 x 200cm.
SuYeon’s unique approach to abstraction freely stretches and transforms shapes, hinting at a sense of displacement while creating a palpable air of togetherness over time. She combines colors and textures that may seem out of place at first glance, but through soft forms and balanced compositions, they mature in the space, reassembling between worlds and flaunting the pleasures of belonging against the odds.
Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Raw Cotton. 60 x 40cm.
SKY LIGHT OCEAN WIND (2024)
Acrylic on Canvas. 80 x 60cm.
BESIDE YOU (2023)
Mixed Media on Raw Cotton. 140 x 200cm.
SUNSHINE BLUE IN THE GARDEN (2023)
SUYEON PREFERS TO EVOKE A SUBTLE SENSE OF COMFORT THROUGH HER WORKS AS OPPOSED TO ANY GRAND REVELATION IN PARTICULAR. AKIN TO A DEPENDABLE, CLOUD-LIKE SOFA, HER PAINTINGS ARE DESIGNED TO OFFER SOLACE AND STYLE IN THE BACKGROUND OF EVERYDAY LIFE, ACCOMPANYING OWNERS AND OPENING CLEARINGS FOR IMAGINATION AND CONNECTION WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST.
Acrylic on Raw Cotton. 140 x 200cm.
EVERY SECOND (2023)
Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Raw Cotton. 130 x 130cm.
MELODY IN THE ROOM (2023)
HYEWON NA
THE ART OF OBSERVATION
For Hyewon Na, art is a bridge between contradictions. As a transnational artist, she exists in a constant state of inbetweenness, ever the observer, always a stranger. This distance, rather than alienating her, sharpens her ability to see complexity in the everyday.
STUDY:
Oil on Canvas. 180 x 200cm.
THE ITALIAN WEDDING’S BRIDE (2024)
Oil on Canvas. 99 x 70cm.
MUSEUM
THE SNAKE IN THE GLASS (2024)
Through her paintings, Hyewon captures unexpected yet deeply symbolic moments and intimate objects. Museums and flea markets, two seemingly opposite spaces, hold the same sense of intrigue for her. While one preserves the past with authority, and the other scatters it with haphazard abandon, both serve as archives of contradiction where love and violence, greatness and mediocrity percolate and posture. Flea markets, too, embody a similar paradox, where discarded objects and forgotten histories resurface, waiting to be reinterpreted. The objects Hyewon discovers in these spaces often become metaphors in her work, standing in for grander statements about memory, identity, and belonging.
Pencil and Pastel on Paper. 94 x 70cm.
Oil on Canvas. 105 x 105cm.
CHILD PROTECTION CENTER, 1990 (2021)
HYEWON’S EXPERIENCES ACROSS CULTURES HAVE HEIGHTENED HER SENSITIVITY TO THE WAY GROUPS FORM AND FUNCTION. SHE IS FASCINATED BY THE INTRICATE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF FAMILIES, OLD VILLAGES, AND COMMUNITIES WITH RIGID INTERNAL STRUCTURES. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LEFT HER HOMELAND YET REMAINS A STRANGER IN HER NEW ENVIRONMENT, SHE SEES THE WORLD THROUGH THE LENS OF A PERENNIAL OUTSIDER. THIS STANCE ALLOWS HER TO OBSERVE WITH AN OBJECTIVE AND PROBING GAZE, REVEALING THE SILENT TENSIONS, UNSPOKEN NARRATIVES, AND FRAGILE CONNECTIONS IN COMMUNITIES OTHERWISE OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
Oil on Canvas. 145 x 200cm.
DAUGHTERS (2024)
Rather than emphasizing cultural divides, Hyewon leans further into universality. She portrays objects with a sense of psychological depth, transforming them into shared experiences. Her Museum Study series, Still-Life series, and Family Photo series transcend representation, manifesting as expressions of raw human emotion. Here, a museum artifact, a household item, or an old photograph becomes a vessel for longing, nostalgia, and self-awareness. In her paintings, personal possessions cease to belong to one individual alone. Instead, they become universal mirrors, reflecting back the memories and emotional fields of anyone who happens to pass them by.
Oil on Canvas. 99 x 70cm, 99 x 70cm, 99 x 70cm, 91 x 70cm (clockwise).
MUSEUM STUDY: THE SNAKE IN THE GLASS (2024)
Hyewon’s choice of artistic techniques are equally unbound by rigid categories. Though Western audiences often remark on her extensive use of black and her method of mixing thick layers of oil with paint, these techniques feel instinctive to her. After all, in traditional Korean painting, black is not unfamiliar; it is foundational. In the end, Hyewon works with oil on canvas as readily as Korean ink on hanji paper. This adaptability reflects her broader artistic philosophy, where boundaries between cultures, materials, and disciplines willfully blur and dissolve.
Ink and Acrylic on Paper. 82 x 52cm.
UNTITLED (2022)
Oil on Canvas. 46 x 62cm.
AT NIGHT (2021)
WHAT UNFOLDED THAT AFTERNOON (2022)
IN APRIL
BY DOCUMENTING THE LITTLE DETAILS, HYEWON MAKES THE UNSEEN VISIBLE. THROUGH HER PAINTINGS, CONTRADICTIONS ARE NOT RESOLVED BUT EXPLORED, NOT SIMPLIFIED BUT GIVEN SPACE TO BREATHE. IN THIS WAY, SHE REMINDS VIEWERS THAT IDENTITY IS NOT A DESTINATION SET IN STONE, BUT AN OPEN-ENDED CONVERSATION THAT EACH OF US, IN OUR OWN WAY, IS ALREADY A PART OF.
Watercolor, Pencil, Ink and Pigment on Paper. 150 x 180cm.
Watercolor, Pencil and Ink on Paper. 200 x 150cm.
SLUMBER
(2022)
GYU OK JEONG
A CANVAS WITHOUT BORDERS
UNTITLED (2023)
Born in South Korea, shaped by Germany, and now based in the United States, Gyu Ok Jeong’s transnational trajectory has been marked by a constant dialogue between structure and spontaneity, tradition and reinvention. Gyu Ok’s fascination with oil painting led her to Germany, drawn by the legacy of German Expressionism. Yet, in a twist of fate, she found herself studying under Sean Scully, an Irish-born American painter known for his monumental abstract compositions. “Looking back, I think it was fate,” she reflects. “That time in Germany shaped not just my artistic practice but my values, my desires, and the way I see the world.”
GYU OK’S TIME ABROAD TRANSFORMED THE WAY SHE ABSORBED AND INTERPRETED HER SURROUNDINGS. IN GERMANY, HISTORY WAS OMNIPRESENT, NOT JUST IN TEXTBOOKS BUT ETCHED INTO CITY WALLS, IN BULLET-MARKED FACADES PASSED DAILY ON THE WAY TO THE SUBWAY, AND IN THE TOWERING PRESENCE OF CATHEDRALS AND CASTLES THAT BORE WITNESS TO CENTURIES PAST. THIS HISTORICAL IMMERSION, COMBINED WITH THE FLUID PRESENCE OF NATURE, LED GYU OK TO DEVELOP A KEEN SENSITIVITY TO MOVEMENT, TIME, AND THE UNSEEN FORCES THAT SHAPE THE ESSENCE OF SPACE.
UNTITLED (2019)
Oil on Canvas. 160 x 120cm.
Oil on Canvas. 120 x 120cm.
UNTITLED_GLOW
Oil on Canvas. 130 x 130cm.
WITH LL (2008)
Her works depict subtle shifts in color, texture, and form that reflect the different geographies in which they were made. In South Korea, Gyu Ok was attracted to the virtues of balance and restraint, influenced by the traditional beauty of blank space, a principle she explored extensively in her undergraduate studies. In Germany, she encountered a new way of thinking that challenged her to dissect ideas structurally and question the “why” behind every artistic choice. This side-step led her to experiment with geometric forms and bold contrasts, injecting her work with a sense of tension and intensity. Now, in the United States, she embraces improvisation, allowing layers of color and texture to blur, collide, and reconfigure in a realm of porous borders.
Untitled (2019). Oil on Canvas. 160 x 130.5cm (each).
Gyu Ok’s recent works embody an ongoing negotiation between belonging and displacement. Through multi-layered compositions, she expresses the realities of personal encounters, losses, and transformations. She paints in response to an emotion she cannot quite name, perhaps longing, perhaps loneliness. Both, she muses, may be two sides of the same coin. “We always want to belong somewhere,” she asserts, “but at the same time, we are creatures who can never fully belong.”
Her approach to painting is instinctual and unplanned, an intuitive process of addition and erasure, layering and revelation. “I do not pursue a set style,” she explains. “I let my heart lead the way.” At times, Gyu Ok works with oil paints, allured by their depth and richness. She also turns to acrylics for their immediacy, allowing her to capture fleeting impressions before they dissolve without a trace. The final result is that which resists finality, paintings that invite viewers to enter, explore, and find meaning in the spaces left unlocked.
UNTITLED (2019)
on Canvas. 130 x 130cm.
GYU OK OFFERS AUDIENCES OPPORTUNITIES TO NAVIGATE THEIR OWN SENSE OF PLACE, MOBILITY, AND IDENTITY. IN HER VARIOUS ABSTRACTIONS, MEANING IS ASSIGNED BY THE PERSPECTIVES OF THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE THEM. “ALL THINGS IN THIS WORLD CAN BE THE SUBJECT OF A WORK OF ART,” SHE CONCLUDES. “I HOPE THAT OTHERS FIND JOY IN SEARCHING FOR MEANING WITH NO DEFINITIVE ANSWERS IN SIGHT, CHERISHING NOT RESISTING THE NEW WAYS OF THINKING THAT SURFACE ALONG THE WAY.”
YEONJINKIM4
YEON JIN KIM
PATCHWORK PERSPECTIVES
Born and raised in Seoul, Yeon Jin Kim relocated to New York two decades ago, where distance sharpened her understanding of Korean aesthetics and the undervalued artistic traditions of women. Her journey began with Jogakbo, the Korean patchwork technique she first encountered in her aunt’s hanbok shop. Inspired by its improvisational beauty, she reinterprets the form using unconventional materials such as commercial plastic, vinyl signage, and outdoor fabric, all stitched together to form intricate compositions.
Collaborative Hybrid Jogakbo 2_Collaborator Noelle Salaun (Inwood Hill Park, New York City, 2023-2024). Hand-sewn Outdoor Fabric. 15.2 x 7.6cm. Installation View.
MUCH LIKE TRADITIONAL JOGAKBO, HER WORKS PRESERVE REMNANTS OF THE PAST, INFUSING DISCARDED MATERIALS WITH NEW SIGNIFICANCE.
Hand-sewn Plastic Bags and Packages. 154.9 x 106.7cm.
PLASTIC JOGAKBO #14 (2023)
VIBES
IN ANTHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE (2022), SHE REPURPOSES THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF SOUTH KOREA’S MILITARY DICTATORS, RECONSTRUCTING THEIR LANGUAGE TO FORM LYRICS FROM SONGS ONCE BANNED UNDER THEIR REGIMES.
ANTHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE_500 BANNED SONGS (2022)
Park Jung Hee’s and Jeon Doo Hwan’s Autobiography. 152.4 x 12.7cm.
Yeon Jin’s altered books extend this dialogue, interrogating the ideological structures that shaped her early years. By carving delicate lace-like patterns into outdated textbooks, such as Home Economics for Girls II (2020-Present), she disrupts the narratives that reinforce gendered expectations and nationalistic indoctrination. More than artistic interventions, these acts of deconstruction and reconstruction are strategies of reclamation, exposing the tensions between personal agency and state control.
Cut-out Lace Patterns, Korean Textbook Published in 1980. Size of the Textbook 21.6 x 14cm. Detail View.
HOME ECONOMICS FOR GIRLS II (2020-PRESENT)
Single Channel Video. Duration 20 min 1 sec.
GHOST IN THE YELLOW HOUSE (2018)
HER ANIMATED FILMS SIMILARLY NAVIGATE THEMES OF DISPLACEMENT AND ADAPTATION. GHOST IN THE YELLOW HOUSE (2018) FOLLOWS HER COUSIN’S EXPERIENCE AS A KOREAN IMMIGRANT IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, WHERE SOCIAL ISOLATION TAKES ON A HAUNTING, ALMOST SPECTRAL PRESENCE.
In Monster Me (2019), a mythical beast emerges from Yellowstone’s geysers, consuming the artist before the two figures merge into one, a striking metaphor for the immigrant’s negotiation of identity, where assimilation can feel both transformative and erasing. For Yeon Jin, creativity is an act of critical inquiry, an ongoing engagement with the forces that shape identity and belonging. Through her multidisciplinary practice, she invites viewers to look beyond the surface of each cut, stitch, and frame, challenging dominant narratives and transforming overlooked traditions and personal histories into acts of resilience.
MONSTER
MICHELLEJCHUN
MICHELLE JEEHYE CHUN
LOST AND FOUND
Raised in the heart of one of the largest Korean diasporic communities in Los Angeles, Michelle Jeehye Chun grew up in a world shaped by juxtapositions. From towering mountains and sun-scorched deserts, to the echo of Sunday hymns in Korean churches and the allure of Hollywood razzle and dazzle beyond, the duality of cultures, landscapes, and histories form the foundation of her artistic practice. At the same time, Michelle’s belief in God remains a guiding force, encouraging her to view the world with a constant sense of wonder and reverence.
NEW GARDEN (2021)
Oil on Canvas. 127 x 152.4cm.
TO DESCRIBE HER EXPERIENCE OF CULTURAL HYBRIDITY, MICHELLE TURNS TO JJAMPPONG, A CHINESE-KOREAN NOODLE DISH KNOWN FOR ITS CHAOTIC BLEND OF FLAVORS. IN COLLOQUIAL KOREAN, THE WORD ALSO MEANS A HODGEPODGE, AN APT METAPHOR FOR THE INHERITANCE OF FRAGMENTED MEMORIES, UNARTICULATED HISTORIES, DIVIDED HOMELANDS, CULTURAL NOSTALGIA, AND UNDERDEVELOPED NARRATIVES THAT CONSTITUTE THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE.
Oil on Canvas. 96.5 x 81.3cm.
THIN PLACE (2024)
Oil, Sand, Oil Pastel, and Oil Ground on Canvas. 127 x 106.7cm.
ARCHIVE (2021)
In Table Assemblage (2020-2021), a lacquer table from the Korean Joseon Dynasty sits at the center, contrasted with an abstracted yellow Western-style counterpart. A fish, an allusion to Picasso and Matisse, floats through the composition, while a traditional hanok lingers in the background, forming a carefully curated collision of East and West, tradition and modernity, belonging and estrangement. Similarly, in her An Archive (2021) piece, Michelle experiments with sand and oil ground to evoke the textures of ancient frescoes, embedding an old photograph of her grandmother beneath layers of symbols and graffiti-like markings.
Oil on Canvas. 127 x 152.4cm.
TABLE ASSEMBLAGE (2020-2021)
Michelle’s creative process is much like an archaeological dig, where layers of history and meaning are built up, erased, and reimagined over time. In her painting, Sign of Jonah (2020-2021), she began with an image of her late grandmother as a young woman, only to obscure and then replace it with alternative scenes. The final image rests atop a buried history of figures, memories, and moments. Without realizing it at the time, she was grieving through her work, tracing her grandmother’s life and, in doing so, accepting the unknowable aspects of her story.
Oil on Canvas. 127 x 152.4cm.
SIGN OF JONAH (2020-2021)
Oil Pastel, Crayon, Acrylic, Colored Pencil, and Oil Ground on Canvas. 67.3 x 55.9cm.
HALMOHNEE PRETEEN DREAM (2020)
Oil on Canvas. 96.5 x 81.3cm.
AFTERLIFE (2024)
Through recent explorations in ceramics and mosaics, Michelle continues to transcend the aesthetic, evoking a sense of longing while sparking conversations about the complex realities of migration and the ever-present tension between the forces of preservation and reinvention.
Oil on Canvas. 36.8 x 29.8cm.
ME TOO (2016)
YOON1VERSE_STUDIO
SEONG YOON HONG
HOME TRAVELS WITH US
For Seong Yoon Hong, the rhythm of home is a pattern that threads through existence. It appears in the spirals of her fingerprints, the branching of rivers, and the ridges of her palm that pay tribute to the mountain ranges she has crossed. It is not a geographic constant, but exists in the quiet recognition of interconnectedness, an invisible force that links all things. Seong Yoon’s work transforms this philosophy into a visual language. Her paintings, fluid and organic, reflect the drops, waves, spirals, and natural patterns that emerge in the world around us. These recurring forms act as meditations on belonging, emphasizing the underlying structures that hold true even in the midst of movement and change.
Acrylic on Canvas. 91 x 73cm.
HAVING STUDIED ABROAD IN THE UNITED STATES, SEONG YOON WAS SWEPT UP IN A WESTERN WORLDVIEW SHAPED BY RATIONALISM AND EMPIRICAL SCIENCE. RETURNING TO SOUTH KOREA, SHE RECONNECTED WITH A PERSPECTIVE ROOTED IN BALANCE AND THE APPRECIATION OF SUBJECTIVITY.
HER ART NOW BRIDGES THESE TWO INFLUENCES, INTEGRATING LOGICAL PRECISION WITH A DEEP ADMIRATION FOR THE EPHEMERAL. SHE SEES THIS SYNTHESIS REFLECTED IN QUANTUM PHYSICS, WHERE DETERMINISTIC AND PROBABILISTIC REALITIES COEXIST, MUCH LIKE THE DUALITY SHE EXPLORES IN HER WORK.
Four Seasons (2023-Ongoing). Oil on Linen. Installation View.
Her earlier pieces focused on systematic natural patterns observable at both cosmic and microscopic levels. More recently, she has shifted toward the human experience, exploring how individuals exist within these larger frameworks. Rather than depicting people as passive elements within an unyielding system, she positions them as dynamic participants; moving through, shaping, and being shaped by the spaces they inhabit. In Seong Yoon’s ink pour and resin on hanji piece, Trinity (2019), she contemplates home as a relational construct rather than a physical space. Inspired by Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, the piece examines how relationships create belonging. In the moment when two entities merge and a third is born, the couple itself transforms into a home for the third. This idea is universal, visible not just in human connections but across all forms of life.
Mixed Media on Hanji.
TRINITY (2019)
Ink on Hanji.
SPACEMAN (2019)
SUMMER (2020)
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
259.1 X 181.8CM
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
FALL (2020) 259.1 X 181.8CM
Capricorns (2024) is a painting created with acrylic pours and detailed rendering. Here, instead of presenting a singular, symbolic goat, Seong Yoon portrays a landscape of them, each aligned with the star positions of Capricorn. While each goat ascends its own path, none are truly alone, highlighting the importance of individuality and shared experience. In this way, Seong Yoon interprets home as a presence that moves with us, found in the company of others embarking on their own unique journeys.
Mixed Media on Canvas. 163 x 112cm. Installaion View.
CAPRICORN IN THE 11TH HOUSE (2023)
Acrylic on Canvas. 117 x 91cm.
CAPRICORNS (2024)
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas. 73 x 60cm.
LOVERS (2023-2025)
MOVEMENT IS CENTRAL TO SEONG YOON’S ARTISTIC PRACTICE. SHE WORKS WITH THE NATURAL FLOW OF MATERIALS, ALLOWING INK AND PAINT TO SPREAD UNPREDICTABLY. DRAWING ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF YIN AND YANG, SHE ALSO CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF MOVEMENT WITHIN STILLNESS, WHERE CHANGE IS NOT AN ENDPOINT BUT AN ONGOING CYCLE OF BECOMING.
Seong Yoon’s art invites viewers to find home within themselves. Although places change and people come and go, there is a presence we transmit and an internal landscape that remains. Like a snail carrying its shell, home is something we embody, something we create with every step forward, and every quiet return to something we have always known.
M_LEE_STUDIO HEEJYUNGKIM
HEE JYUNG KIM
BETWEEN ORDER AND CHAOS
Hee Jyung Kim has never been interested in static definitions. More than crossing borders, for her, being a transnational artist is about navigating cultural contrasts, embracing unpredictability, and allowing her work to shift and evolve in response to various movements, disruptions, and discoveries.
THE IDEA OF CHAOS HAS ALWAYS INTRIGUED HER. WHILE MOST PEOPLE SEEK STABILITY, HEE JYUNG FINDS INSPIRATION IN MOMENTS OF RUPTURE THAT OPEN NEW POSSIBILITIES.
Her work thrives in the space between order and disorder, capturing energy in its rawest form. This fascination stems not only from her personal experiences of moving between cultures but also from the artists who have influenced her along the way. She draws from Cy Twombly’s spontaneous mark-making, Tracey Emin’s emotional honesty, and Louise Bourgeois’ deeply personal narratives. William Kentridge, David Hockney, and David Shrigley have shaped her approach to storytelling, humor, and space. At the same time, Korean masters like Lee Ungno and Kwon O-Bong have shown her how tradition can be reinterpreted in contemporary practice. Hee Jyung’s research into the Japanese Gutai movement further expanded her thinking, revealing new ways to engage with physicality, materiality, and spatial dynamics.
SPLASH (2021)
Splash (2021). Indian Ink and Acrylic on Paper. 41.7 x 58.5cm.
OBSERVING THE DIVE
Despite these influences, the most defining moment in Hee Jyung’s artistic journey emerged from a simple piece of advice. While studying at Slade, UCL, her tutor, Jayne Parker, told her: “Follow your heart.” It was a straightforward statement, but at the time, it was exactly what Hee Jyung needed to hear. Lost in questions about identity and belonging in the art world, this advice freed her from the curse of overthinking, allowing her to trust her instincts and embrace her lived experiences as an integral part of her practice.
Wax Pastel, Pencil, and Acrylic on Canvas. 128 x 170cm.
(2023)
Waterfall (2021). Cut-out Paper (Yellow Squiggles), Indian Ink, Pencil and Acrylic on Paper, Acrylic on Canvas, Backdrop Stand and Magnet. Various Size. Installation View.
IMBIBING DIFFERENT CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS HAS ENABLED HEE JYUNG TO SEE HER BACKGROUND WITH FRESH EYES. THE TENSION BETWEEN KOREAN AND WESTERN CULTURES IN TERMS OF EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION, SOCIAL MOBILITY, AND IDENTITY FORMATION HAS BECOME CENTRAL TO HER ARTISTIC LANGUAGE.
Study of Splashed Water 1-6 (2023). Wax Pastel, Pencil, and Acrylic on Paper. 55.88 x 77cm. Installation View.
These ideas take shape in Finding Treasures in Mud (2023), an installation inspired by mudlarking, the practice of searching for historical artifacts along the River Thames. For Hee Jyung, the river acts as a metaphor for identity. Just as it carries remnants of different eras, blending them into a single space, our sense of self is shaped by layers of past experiences and unexpected encounters. Mudlarkers do more than collect objects; they interpret fragments, assign meaning, and form connections. Hee Jyung sees identity as a similar process of continuous discovery. The installation features mirror film layered with flowing water-like elements and drawings of the Thames and its mudlarkers. As viewers engage with the piece, their own reflection merges with the imagery, reinforcing the idea that identity is something we piece together through interactions and external cues. Vibrant yellow paper elements, designed to mimic the moment water is disturbed, add a sense of rupture, capturing transformation in motion. The interplay of light, reflection, and spatial arrangement pulls the viewer into an experience that exists somewhere between reality and imagination.
ABOVE ALL, HEE JYUNG WANTS HER WORK TO GIVE VIEWERS A SENSE OF RELEASE. SHE WANTS THEM TO FEEL AS IF THEY CAN TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND LET GO OF WHATEVER IS CONFINING THEM. THROUGH HER GESTURAL BRUSHSTROKES, ACCIDENTAL MARKS, INSTALLATIONS, AND SPATIAL INTERVENTIONS, SHE COMPELS US TO STEP SPONTANEOUSLY BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES AND EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT UNKNOWN.
Wax Pastel, Pencil, and Acrylic on Canvas. 120 x 85cm (each). Installation View.
THINKERS (TRIPTYCH) (2023)
Wax Pastel, Pencil, and Acrylic on Canvas. 91.2 x 60.8cm.
