I have always known that I am a painter at heart, though the path to becoming one was far from linear. Growing up in South Korea, my earliest memories are of drawing and coloring—sometimes even on the kitchen walls. I studied calligraphy as a child, and the rhythm, discipline and physical intelligence of that practice continue to inform my work today.
After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, I chose to study biochemistry in college, driven by a deep curiosity about how the world operates at molecular and atomic levels. While I was drawn to science, I became increasingly interested in forms of understanding that could hold complexity without resolving it too quickly. That led to a 26-year career in investment management, where I earned my CFA and developed a layered, systems-based approach to analyzing complexity. During those years, I studied abstract art at the Art Students League of New York in the evenings and on weekends, gradually weaving creative practice back into my life.
I have since come full circle. Having left finance behind, I have been painting full time since 2020. Over time, I have come to see science, art, and finance as distinct but permeable modes of inquiry, each shaped by different constraints. My training in science and finance
Education:
A.B. Biochemical Sciences, Harvard University, 1992
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), 1997
Selected Group Exhibitions:
Art Students League of NY, New York, NY
Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY
Community Exhibitions:
John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY