I was mesmerized by the sheer grandeur of these flowers and engulfed by their vivid burgundy color. Later when I majored in painting during college, I came across a book which had numerous illustrations of paintings of Peonies. They were in folklore paintings from the “Jeosun” Dynasty. Peonies were often used in these paintings to symbolize wealth, prosperity and fortune. Peonies continue to be an important theme and subject in my work.
I use the deep hues of a bloody red to underscore and punctuate my thoughts. Sometimes I use different colors but mostly I focus on deeper and more majestic colors. I like to position a flower in full bloom spread out in the middle of the canvas. Unlike in my other paintings, I would not consider the beauty of an unfilled space in these pieces. I want these Peonies to rise up and explode into space with full strength and dominance.
My aesthetic process focuses on the unity of nature and the human experience. Derived from East Asian philosophy, this is deeply ingrained into that culture. In my paintings, I see that nature can survive extremely harsh conditions yet still eventually blossom filled with life. I combine this concept of nature in my work. I personally have struggled and weathered many storms but I have also experienced great joy and beauty. I try to integrate and internalize these experiences and conditions in my work. I often use the symbol of the Peony in my art. For me, it symbolizes the richness of artistic inspiration, hard work, confidence, and competence.
The abundance of nature inspires me. I feel as though there is a profound connection between nature and my work. It is the backbone of my art whatever the medium or materials. Often I like to depict the changes in color of the seasons harkening back to my experience as a 12 year old girl seeing a garden blooming in a new place. The deep green scenery of spring and summer feels like energetic youth, full of wonder and wisdom, and deeply penetrating life.