Artist Profile So Young Park
Park’s spirited, allegorical oil paintings reimagine folk tradition with a contemporary, cosmic vitality.
Artist Statement
This series reinterprets the tiger—a recurring symbol in Korean art and folklore—as a vessel for exploring memory, identity, and humanity’s relationship with nature. Each work connects the tiger to different dimensions of experience: from the playful innocence of childhood, to the tension between calmness and inner drive, to the urgent call for harmony between humans and the natural world. Through the use of traditional motifs, ancient calligraphy, and modern imagery, the series bridges personal memory and collective heritage, grounding contemporary concerns in a timeless visual language.
Time and space converge in Appearance, where two tigers embody humanity’s relationship with nature. The golden tiger, grounded in reality, symbolizes hope for a thriving natural world. Its planet is suggested by small, cell-like forms orbiting outside a red circle, evoking cosmic movement. From another dimension, a silver tiger appears, transcending time, seeking to unite with the golden tiger. Their convergence becomes a metaphor for humanity’s urgent, universal responsibility to protect and restore the natural environment—an issue that surpasses eras, planets, and dimensions.
Artist Biography
So Young Park is a Korean-born, U.S.-based contemporary artist who reinterprets traditional Korean folk painting (Minhwa) exclusively through oil painting. Residing in Peachtree City, Georgia, she works with a deep commitment to sharing the humor, vitality, and philosophical depth of minhwa with global audiences. Her paintings often address contemporary social desires and global issues, using the traditional minhwa format as a satirical lens to connect past and present.
Park’s works explore cultural identity, migration, and the dialogue between East and West, balancing visual intensity with playful narratives that invite reflection. She has exhibited internationally across Korea, China, and the United States, including invited exhibitions at Gallery Hanok in Seoul and Peachtree City Library in Georgia. Her works have been featured at the LA Art Show, CICA Festival, and TopArtAwards exhibitions, earning honors such as recognition from the 17th Korean Folk Painting Competition and the Art Masters Summer 2024 Award.
Through exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, Park continues to bridge tradition and modernity, bringing Korean folk art’s enduring vitality to a contemporary global stage.