k-art in NYC
What first brought you to NYC, and what were your first impressions of the city?
I moved to New York City in the summer of 2025 for my MFA program at Columbia University. Columbia MFA has always been a dream of mine, and I was thrilled to find out that I was accepted with a scholarship. Previously, I worked at the MIT Museum as an education associate, teaching science and art to audiences of all ages. Before that, I attended Washington University in St. Louis for undergrad and double-majored in art and philosophy.
What blew me away the most was the fact that the people, galleries, museums, and fairs I could only encounter via the internet were all here. In 2023, two years before I actually moved, I made a spontaneous trip from St. Louis to NYC to catch the closing of Hilary Harkness’s show at P·P·O·W. Seeing her paintings in real life was phenomenal. I met both Hilary and her wife, Ara, for the first time there. After lots of heartfelt exchanges, I featured on Ara’s podcast, I’m Here Too. NYC would be a very different experience without them, and I am very grateful
How would you describe the creative energy or art scene in NYC?
The energy to me is in the shape of a big, vibrant web, where you can easily travel from one end of the web to the other. Besides Hilary and Ara, I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know many artists I admire through school and social media. Visiting Ted Mineo and Garry Nichols’ studios was fantastic, and I feel fortunate to have David Humphrey, Michael Joo, David Antonio Cruz, Daphne Arthur, and Dana Lok as my professors and mentors.
Have you collaborated with local artists, institutions, or communities?
I created a painting inspired by a class I took called TREES, taught by Professor Patricia Dailey. We read an 8th-century Old English poem, The Dream of the Rood, about the tree that became the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The tree recounts the experience from its own perspective, and I couldn’t help but visualize what it would look like. So I made a large-scale painting featuring a log with a thousand tiny branches inside, forming a complex neural network. The painting was later featured in Columbia Magazine’s article, The Tree Huggers of Columbia.
Has the city changed your artistic practice in any way?
I feel lucky to have such a solid community. I am so inspired by the artists around me. The exchanges I have are sincere and unique, and they help me feel at home. For instance, Garry Nichols, a painter and dowser from Tasmania, is teaching me how to dowse. We went to Prospect Park and dowsed for water veins using various tools, including L-rods and pendulums.
What is one moment, project, or exhibition in the city that you will never forget?
It’s really hard to pick just one… every studio session, break at the bodega, walk in the park, artist meet-up, is unforgettable. But to pick two, one is seeing fireflies in Central Park, and the other is setting foot in my studio for the first time.
In what ways do your Korean roots continue to shape your work while living abroad?
I am very inspired by old ink-on-paper drawings of flora and fauna by Korean painters, especially Shin Saimdang. I feel connected to the way Shin painted the details and vivacity of life.
Is there a visible or active Korean art or creative community in NYC?
There are a number of students from South Korea in my program, making a variety of works ranging from sculpture to performance.
Have you observed any interest or reception toward Korean art in your city?
I have seen some Korean artists that I know and admire at Frieze and NADA, namely the works of Kay Seohyung Lee, Rachel Youn, and Yehwan Song.
If you had to describe NYC as a creative “material,” what would it be and why?
Artist’s tape! The city does a great job of connecting people and ideas.
Where in the city do you go when you need to recharge creatively?
I love going to parks, especially Central Park and Riverside Park. I sometimes collect pond water in a jar, bring it home, observe the microorganisms inside it under a microscope, and get artistic inspiration.
If a Korean artist were to visit NYC for a month, what would you recommend they do, see, or experience?
I would highly recommend a gallery crawl in Tribeca and Chelsea.
What are you currently working on?
I have two upcoming exhibitions, one at The Parsonage in Searsport, ME, and at Art Cake in Brooklyn, NY. I am also collaborating with a neurobiology PhD student here at Columbia to create a painting inspired by the evolution of cognition across species.
How do you imagine your relationship with NYC evolving over time?
I can see myself being more immersed! I want to befriend every bodega cat in the city. Also, share my love and wonder for art and natural history with a wider audience.
