About the artist:

Born: Seoul, Korea: March 13, 1962.

U.S.A. Citizen: Moved to USA at the age of 12; have been living in New York City since age of 15.

Education: Studied Fine Arts at Queens College right after High School. Earned an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science (Fine Arts Major) 2002 from Fashion Institute of Technology; 2 Bachelor’s Degrees-- in Philosophy and Psychology in 2006 and 2007 from Queens College; Master’s Degree in Psychology, 2012 from The City University of New York.

Past Employment as Artist: Andover Togs; hand painted on t-shirts, samples of art work. Federation of Organizations at Queens Adult Care Center: provided Art Therapy.

I studied Fine Arts at Queens College and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). All of my professors told me that I painted masterpieces! This was more than an encouragement but I MUST paint. My professors told me years ago, that it was up to me if I was going to be a “living Art Master like Matisse”. Other professors told all us in art classes; asking us the rhetorical question “what types of work are you going to get as Fine Artist? Absolutely nothing!” This prepared us for a life as starving artist.

Knowing too well that I am an artist who must paint, I still wanted to get an education. Philosophy and Psychology were other subjects other than Art that I was interested in studying. So I got far as earning a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Master’s degree in psychology in 2012.

My work includes oil paintings of portraits of Native American Indians. I am not an American Indian, but Asian artist (Korean) who shares the ethnicities, diversity in our American heritage. Now I paint every day. It became second nature to me. I paint in unusual shades of colors, the literal, vivid images of our real world.

We were not taught Impressionism or Cubism, but we learned traditional American Art school’s teachings. We learned old techniques like scumbling and shading. I developed my own unique technique of using very thin layers of oil paints and turpentine and then glossing the painting over when it’s finished and dried with Linseed oil. I have delicate touches and strokes.

My work is not controversial or brute. I am not political. I don’t know what statement I am supposed to make in each painting, but I am still trying to paint beautiful original Masterpiece paintings like van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse and Monet did. I paint like a poet who sees the ordinary world-- extraordinary, I paint making this ordinary world-- an extraordinary world. I will always try to paint beautiful places, women and songs. I am inspired by music and I paint paintings inspired by Rock & Roll songs.