Helen Liu
To me, painting is simultaneously a way for me to escape reality and to connect to a cultural heritage that would otherwise be foreign to me. My first art lessons starting from an age of nine introduced me to the simplest studies of techniques used by Chinese watercolor painters. However, as the years passed and I developed my own focus on representations of nature and landscape, I began to experiment with the myriad of different effects of various mediums on rice paper. In my most recent paintings, I try to use some of these techniques to highlight the interplay of light and dark to produce contrasting suggestions of night and day.
Joon Park
Joon Park, a pop surrealist, considered by some a lowbrow artist and also an experienced trompe-l'œil artist, has been an avid painter since his high school debut. His inspiration initially grew from Korean folk tales from his childhood, though he became even more engulfed by surrealism at an opportunity he had to reside in Europe. Overseas he was captivated by many European artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, and Salvador Dali. His ever-growing curiosity in the many styles of art, while still focusing on surrealism, sparks his imagination. Joon is now influenced by many modern San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles based artists. While learning from multiples new artists' examples, he still practices the techniques of the old masters. Although he is still young and blossoming, Joon hopes his desire to paint will drive him into uncharted territory.
Akira Beard
