PAINTING
PAPERCUTTING
PAINTING PAPERCUTTING
Palangsaek, 2025
Oil on canvas board
14 × 11 in
Explored my mother’s experience of displacement and immigration, blue undertones representing sadness and nostalgia
Gwageowseo Hyeonjaeui, 2025
Oil on wood board, paper
9 × 18 in
Depicted my father's retention of culture throughout time. Growing up as a child in London (left), he looks longingly towards the fish, which symbolize Korean heritage. As an adult (right), he points me towards a dog, and towards the fish, preserved connection to cultural identity.
Noon (Snow), 2025
Oil on canvas board, paper
14 × 11 in
Depicted myself as a child, having just come back from a year-long stay in Korea. Detached from my heritage, I felt closest to my heritage when hearing folktales. As such, I’d imagine running through the snow with the rabbits from the moon.
Molan (Peony), 2024
Watercolor, paper
12 × 16 in
Mul-Soge (In the Water), 2024
Paper
14 × 12 in
planning + process
Walk, 2025
Oil on canvas paper, paper, Procreate
14 × 11 in
Depicted a scene from my walk home, with fantastical papercut fish symbolizing the way in which culture overlays with modern life.
Moheom (Adventure), 2024
Paper
12 × 17 in
Five-layer papercut piece where I explore a historical Korean landscape, using dimension as a way to immerse the viewer.
planning + process
Planning individual laters and overall composition.
Layer 1: Korean red pine tree, hanok window-inspired framing.
Layer 2: Magpies, tiger, and figure overlooking the landscape.
Layer 3: traditional village in the middle of a forest.
Layer 4: Mountains with an inlet.
Layer 5: Back layer, clouds.
Make it stand out
Cheong-Gaeguli, 2024
Oil on wood board
30 × 24 in
Self portrait showing alignment with and acceptance of my Korean identity, adopting a formal tone. The background narrates the Korean folktale of the Green Frog, a mischievous child who my parents used to describe me.
planning + process
Make it stand out
Yong, 2026
Paper
16 × 10 × 10 in
Make it stand out
Gyunhyeong (Balance), 2025
Oil on canvas, paper
40 × 30 in
This is the final image in a series of works exploring heritage, where paper intertwines with the figure (myself), representing an acceptance of blended identity. Synthesized traditional oil painting with papercutting and overlaid a Korean dragon, a symbol of knowledge and natural cycles. These elements represents acceptance, preservation, and harmonization with my Korean identity.