My name is Taehun, and I create art for the collectors who wish to invite joy, positive energy and intention into their living spaces.
Early Days
I have drawn for as long as I can remember, living with the quiet certainty that art would be my path. I trained in art-focused middle and high schools in Korea and later majored in painting at Hongik University.
After graduating, I felt a strong pull toward a larger world. With limited English and no clear plan, I left for the United States, drawn less by formal education than by a desire to live within the energy of New York. I studied painting there and remained after graduating with a Master in Fine Art, working in studios while searching for a voice that still felt just out of reach.
Looking back, I realize I was young. I lacked urgency and did not yet have a story I needed to tell through painting. During this period, I continued working within the art world—working as an artist in studio environments, collaborating on creative projects, and later living and working in Hong Kong.
A Change in Perspective
Marriage, motherhood, and relocation to Canada marked a turning point. As I adjusted to a new life and raised my child, I stepped away from painting for a time. When I eventually returned, the meaning of art had shifted. Painting became slower, quieter, and more essential—a way to realign myself with what truly mattered.
My work now draws from a personal relationship with Korean folk art, particularly its use of floral imagery and symbolic forms. In traditional folk painting, flowers are never merely decorative; they carry auspicious meanings—wishes for prosperity, longevity, love, and harmony. Peonies symbolize wealth and honor, plum blossoms resilience and integrity, and lotus flowers virtue and inner clarity, alongside other seasonal flowers rooted in everyday hopes. I approach these symbols not as fixed motifs, but as living references—reshaped through memory, intuition, and a contemporary perspective.
I work primarily in acrylic on canvas and watercolour on paper. Acrylic provides structure and clarity, while watercolour introduces fluidity and unpredictability. Moving between these mediums allows me to balance intention with spontaneity. Whimsy plays an important role in my practice; through simplified forms and gentle distortions, I aim to create work that feels approachable and quietly joyful—inviting reflection rather than explanation.
Looking Ahead
Living in Canada as an immigrant has also shaped my recent work. As I traveled through the landscape, I became absorbed in its quiet beauty, while simultaneously feeling a deepening longing for Korea. In works such as Bon Echo, these sensibilities meet. Drawing from the auspicious language of Korean folk painting, I express the beauty of the land I now live in while holding space for memory and belonging.
I am drawn to small, easily overlooked moments—trees growing along the sheer cliffs of Bon Echo Provincial Park, flowers emerging between stones. Like blossoms pushing through rock, these scenes embody quiet resilience.
Today, painting feels close to a form of prayer. Each mark is made with care, wishing happiness and well-being for myself and for those who encounter my work. Whether painting a child, a flower, or a symbolic object, my work exists as an offering—holding personal and collective hopes through gentle, familiar forms.
Let’s Stay Connected
Art is a conversation, and I’d love for you to be a part of mine.
Follow along on Instagram to see the "behind-the-scenes" process that happens before the final brushstroke.
