Bio:
Seonju was born in South Korea and she studied visual communication design. She loved to travel and had a very busy life. Then suddenly she became ill and her life changed 180 degrees. After she married, she moved to the United States where she found doing anything and everything difficult. Living in a different culture and language became her primary stress in life. She started painting again after a ten-year break, which helped her to overcome the cultural and linguistic differences, and her struggles with lupus and scleroderma.
Painting brought her peace of mind and she communicated with people through painting. This was the drive she needed and wanted, so she went to school and earned her BFA and MFA from Towson University, MD. She also taught printmaking and drawing where she studied during and after graduation. Currently, she has moved and settled in Olympia and is working as a portrait artist and teaches during the Fall 2021 semester at SPSCC.
Artist Statement:
I am interested in all types of people, and what you can learn about them from their outward appearance. The body records a person's life as external expressions, like scars and wrinkles. It represents the person's living environment, habits, and health status. This was especially true for the face, as it is the part of our body that reflects the best part of a person’s individuality. It changes while continuing to live as an unfinished map of human life. Facial expressions are like a secret language that a person uses to both hide and show his or her true feelings. During conversations, expressions sometimes tell more than the words people use. By studying facial expressions, an observant person can understand something of hidden meanings and true feelings. Using this idea, I decided to focus on the faces of people for my paintings.