I was born in Seoul, Korea,
and was drawn to painting from an early age.
In high school I began a formal study of Western art
and continued my commitment to painting
through college.
In pursuing my desire to find a more plastic medium
which would allow color to emanate from within,
I was led to tapestry weaving.
I started with scraps from my mother's knitting box
and experimented with
spinning and dying my own yarn.
Since there was no tradition of tapestry weaving
in Korea prior to the 1960's,
I invented what I later learned were
the same techniques mastered by
the Gobelin weavers centuries ago.
I received my M.F.A. in Fiber art
from Hong-Ik U. in 1985.
My curiosity led me to further experimentation
in the still-evolving Korean fiber arts field.
I worked with woven soft sculpture
and attempted to duplicate the effects of
my watercolors and pastels in tapestry.
I remain attracted to the creative experience
of tapestry weaving,
its unique technical and aesthetic challenges;
its sense of order
and its almost three dimensional textural quality.
In addition to teaching art and tapestry weaving
in my own studio,
I've been invited back to Korea
to teach fine art and weaving during the summer.
In 1997, I received first place in
'The Scholastic Arts & Writing Award'
in recognition for being an outstanding educator.
This national award was presented to me
in Constitution Hall in Washington DC.
My work has been in
numerous group and solo exhibitions
in the United States, Korea and Russia.
These shows have received favorable reviews
by the New York Times,
Newark Star Ledger
and many local news papers.
My work is represented
in public and private collections world wide
and many standard text books on weaving.
I illustrated two books.
One
in 1995, for children entitled
'Look What We've Brought You From Korea,'
published by Simon & Schuster.
Second one in 2011, entitled
"All About Korea,"Tuttle Publishing.
Now I am back in Korea built a dream house
in the mountains outside of Geochang.
Named Morning Calm Studio
so that my husband and I can focus on our artwork.
