The privilege of studying across borders in South Korea, China and the United States exposed Yeonhye Park to a host of eclectic artistic scenes. Her journey through educational settings and diverse cultural backdrops broadened her perspective, enriching her creative voice in harmony with the strangers and significant others she encountered along the way.

In 2010, Yeonhye kicked off an MFA at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing at a time when investments in Chinese art were reshaping the local landscape. As prestigious international galleries flooded in and markets fluctuated, a paradoxical reality unfolded where certain artists thrived at the detriment and exploitation of the masses.

Although her art practice in East Asia took on non-traditional forms as influenced by French Expressionism, Yeonhye’s material preferences saw her boxed into the pre- defined category of a “traditional painter.” To upset the status quo, she ended up moving to the United States to pursue a second MA in Studio Art at Penn State.

Ironically, Yeonhye’s new audience often essentialized her work through the lens of her Korean heritage. Nonetheless, interdisciplinary art-making under the esteemed mentorship of artists such as Helen O’Leary and Bonnie Collura enabled her to expand her visual language and create beyond the narrow confines of cultural frameworks.

In Yeonhye’s groundbreaking portrait series, she depicts individuals from diverse backgrounds on shaped wooden panels. rather than hyperbolize their orientation or accentuate the color of their skin, she captures the richness and sincerity of their inner worlds instead.

In her latest project entitled “Memory Loop,” Yeonhye leverages childhood memories as tangible materials, weaving these fragments nostalgically into mixed media paintings set within distinctive ceramic frames. As well as encasing her pieces, these frames add depth and sculptural dimensionality in a way that synchronizes the dialogue between past and present, and complements the personal narratives within.

Nowadays, Yeonhye proudly identifies as a visual artist who embraces a kaleidoscope of life experiences and creative ambitions. Irrespective of the medium, for her, “the more personal the expression, the more universal its appeal.”

ABYSS (2023). ACRYLIC ON MDF AND GLAZED & UNDERGLAZED CONE 04 STONEWARE. 52 X 48CM.

HEAVY STRANDS (2022). GLAZED & UNDERGLAZED CONE 04 STONEWARE, WOOD, AND NICHROME WIRE. 160 X 122 X 122CM.

BODY POT (2021). GLAZED & UNDERGLAZED CONE 04 STONEWARE. 49.5 X 45.7 X 30.5CM.

ASCENSION (2023). ACRYLIC AND MASON STAIN ON MDF, WOOD, AND PAPER CLAY WITH GLAZED CONE 01. 71 X 76CM

Discover more of Yeonhye’s works in Issue 4 of our magazine!