Biography

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, I hold a BFA in Fine Art from Ewha Womans University. My artistic path led me to Italy, where I studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, an experience that deepened my spiritual and visual language through the art of Ars Magna and the cultural resonance of Europe.

After relocating to the United States, I participated in the international art program at California State University, Long Beach. Since 1993, I have been an active member of the Korean Artists Association of Southern California, contributing to its annual exhibitions. My work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across California, New York, and South Korea. Additionally, I worked as an illustrator for Moonhwa Ilbo (The Korean Culture Daily) for three years.

I am the founder of Solas Art Center, based in Southern California, where I teach drawing, painting, illustration, and computer graphic design to children, youth, and adults. My teaching reflects my belief in nurturing artistic identity through both skill and self-discovery.

Microcosm to Macrocosm

My work explores the interplay between natural forces and the intuitive self, expressed through spontaneous, layered gestures on canvas.

I use acrylic, ink, and mixed media to create flowing compositions that echo nature’s rhythms—organic lines, elemental forms, and pigments that bleed and merge like living ecosystems.

Each painting begins with an impulse—strokes that arise from deep within, guided by the subconscious and shaped within the structure of design. Through abstraction, I reinterpret the essence of real objects, dissolving their forms into free-flowing figures. This process becomes a spiritual journey: a connection between the macrocosm and microcosm, where opposites—color, form, energy—meet, clash, and harmonize.

Nature is my collaborator. I believe in the universal laws that govern both the organic world and the act of creation. The layering, division, and movement across the canvas reflect not only visual complexity but the hidden harmony that underlies chaos. Painting, for me, is a meditative act—a way to translate emotional truth and spiritual resonance into visual memory. I hope my work evokes quiet revelations: moments of beauty, transformation, and connection between the inner and outer worlds.

Artist Statement

Intrinsic Object Metamorphosis

In my creative process, I seek to express the pure elements that arise on the surface of the canvas—natural forms and lines that emerge through vision and intuitive, automatic touch. As pigment and water flow across the surface—sometimes visible, sometimes imperceptible—the traces of that movement remain as evidence of transformation. These flows and rhythms are not random; they follow an internal logic, like waves overlapping, competing, and resolving into layers of boundary and form.

When I paint, I discover how nature holds both complexity and simplicity within itself—an elegant balance that often eludes perception. Nature is the origin of both subject and object in my work. Through abstract gestures and evolving forms, I explore the dualities of time and space—some elements diverging in space but merging in time, others the opposite. This interplay becomes the foundation of my visual language.

Meditation is central to my practice. I see painting as a meditative act—an attempt to bring forth the essence of universal principles through gesture and presence. My subject matter is rooted in nature: landscapes, oceans, mountains, and skies. I often begin with traditional ink and brush on rice paper to capture the life and motion of a subject in its raw, spontaneous state. These initial impressions are later translated onto canvas through layered acrylic, where movement continues in the flow of pigments and the meeting of opposing colors.

A recurring metaphor in my work is the sailboat—representing the human spirit adrift in the vast, unpredictable ocean of life. Before the voyage begins, the anchored ship holds hope. But once it departs, it enters a world of trials—storms, suffering, and moments of calm—relying on the sky above, something beyond itself, for guidance. In my abstract water imagery, the sailboat becomes a symbol of transformation, resilience, and spiritual journey.

Through my paintings, I seek to evoke emotional depth and inner stillness. I hope to invite viewers to look beyond the surface—to witness the metamorphosis of form, the tension between light and darkness, and the quiet presence of hope. These works are not just expressions of nature, but reflections of the soul navigating through it.

history

Professional History

Education

1990 Ewha woman’s University Fine Art BFA

1993 Studied Accademia di Belle Arte de Firenze, Florence Italia
2010 Media Art Certificate at El Camino College

Solo Exhibition:

1993 Solo Show, Galleria D’Arte Torre, Firenze, Italia
1996 “Ein, Yang In the Spacetime” , Sam Jung Art Space, Seoul, Korea
2024 “Microcosm to Macrocosm” , Lee & Lee Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Exhibitions

2025 Unity in Diversity, Korean Cultural Center, LA ,CA

2025 Consilience in Painting, Whittier Art Gallery, Whittier CA

2025 Beyond The Visible, Shatto Gallery, LA

2024 Nomad III , Del Amo Crossing, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, Ca

2023 Chronicles, On The Road, MK Space Gallery, New York, NY
2023 Seoul Modern Art Show, KEPKO Art Center Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2022 The Phoenix Project, 15 BAILA+15Korean Artists, KCCLA, LA, Ca

2020 “Verdant in Diversity” Ewha Art Center, Seoul, Korea

2019 Three Women Artists Show, XO1 Gallery , Phelan, Ca
2019 Crossing 17 artists Show , Western Gallery, Los Angeles , Ca
2019 Santa Fe Spring Art Fair, Clarke Estate Gallery , Santa Fe Springs, Ca

2019 KCSE Invited Korean Artists, C - Art Museum, Seoul ,Korea
2018 8 Women Artists Invited Exhibition, Gallery Clu, LA, Ca
2017 Blows Flags, Love Art Gallery , Philan, CA

2017 Nokmee, Muckentheller Cultural Center, Fullerton, CA
2017 Itinerary , Coohaus Art Gallery, New York , NY
2016 Esperanza , 11 artists”, Gallery Ls, San Pedro, CA
2015 Light and Shadow, Painter's Photography , Gallery LS , San Pedro, CA
2014 The Big Show II, SCA Project Gallery, Pomona, CA
2013 South Bay Focus 2013, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2012 33 Korean American Artists, Western Gallery , Los Angeles CA
2011 Off the Wall, Lee and Lee Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2010 Small & Precious Works, Gallery Ls, San Pedro, CA
2010 Zest for Art, 50 Artists in LA, Rheeway Galleries , Los Angeles CA
2009 Works on Paper, Gallery Ls , San Pedro, CA
2008 Twenties, FT Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Unity and Individuality, OPUS Gallery, Torrance, CA

Group Exhibitions

1993-2025 Korean Artists Association in Southern California Annual Exhibition, KCCLA, CA
2010-2024 NokMee Exhibition , Lee And Lee Gallery , EK Gallery, Los Angeles, Muckenthaler Museum and Cultural Center, Orange County, Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim, Fullerton , CA.
2009 Art Auction Exhibition , Ewha Alumni in America, BonaVenture Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.
2008/2023 Ewha Fine Art Exhibition, In-Sa Art Center,ewha Art Center, Seoul, Korea.

Association Current

Director of Korean Artists Association of Southern California.
President of NokMee Artists Association of Southern California.
Member of Torrance Art Museum.

Karin K. Namkung

Karin K. Namkung

Biography

Artist Statement

history

Professional History

Karin K. Namkung

Biography

Artist Statement

history

Professional History

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