KATHY PARK
California-based Korean-American painter Kathy Park explores the fundamental struggles of humankind through a surreal, symbol-rich aesthetic. Transcending literal depiction, her work blurs the line between wake and dreams, mining images and hallucinations from the deepest subconscious. The series titled Places He Takes Me was inspired by observing her daughter while sleeping, which raised questions on the unplumbed territory of oneiric visions. In slumber, we do not have full control of our thoughts and actions and enter the realm of the unknown. Park envisaged surreal landscapes, where forms collapse and colors blend into biomorphic abstraction, giving life to grotesque narratives of confusion, fear, and disorientation. Symbolism is also a powerful expedient in Park’s oeuvre, such as the goat found in the Settling In series. In reference to the Old Testament’s scapegoat, the animal stands as a metaphor for humankind’s struggle in finding their own identity. Carrying the sins of humanity, it roams in the wilderness or hides in abandoned places on a journey toward understanding and expiation. Through personal psychic investigations the artist sparks universal recognition, illustrating the unifying predicament of all beings. In so doing, she inspires belongingness and hope in resolving our inherent existential dilemma.
Park received a BFA from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia. She exhibited widely in the United States and designed illustrations for various publications. She lives and works in Corona, California.
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My work highlights the fundamental struggles of humankind through a surreal, symbol-rich aesthetic. In line with traditional Asian paintings, I transcend the literal depiction of objects and phenomena, but rather capture the energy and essence within them. Mining images and hallucinations from the deepest subconscious, I illustrate the unifying predicament of all beings. In so doing, I wish to inspire a sense of belongingness and hope in overcoming the existential challenges we all face.
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