Biography
Born in Pusan, S. Korea, I was adopted four months after birth and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, a west suburb of Chicago. As an artist that identifies with several different communities, my experience as a queer Korean American adoptee has granted me a unique access point into today’s conversations around identity politics. I tell my story by making and teaching art, specifically in ceramics.
My relationship with clay is a story in itself. I was born with a genetic condition called Crossed Polysyndactyly that affected my hands and feet. After eight collective surgeries as a child, I rehabilitated by learning violin and taking clay classes. From a young age, ceramics has always helped me discover myself, and the same is true today. From there, I want to continue carving and paving a path for others through art education.
I studied art and K-12 art education at the University of Iowa, and graduated in 2009 with a B.F.A in Ceramics and a preliminary teaching license.
I later moved to Portland, Oregon to attend the Oregon College of Art and Craft for a Post-Baccalaureate in Ceramics.
Coeur de Terre
2014