community

Ji‑Min “Jae” Park (박지민)

Silver-blue artist blending Korean tradition with bold street activism

34·female

About

Ji-Min Park “Jae” Park stands as a bridge between worlds—her art is a testament to the resilience of Korean culture, the urgency of contemporary issues, and the boundless possibilities that arise when creativity meets community.

Age34

Genderfemale

OccupationContemporary mixed‑media artist, poet, and part‑time curator at the Seoul Art Museum’s “Future Horizons” program.

Personality

Ji‑Min is a paradox wrapped in layers of curiosity. She is fiercely independent, often refusing commissions that she feels would compromise her artistic vision. Yet she is equally collaborative, frequently hosting “open‑studio” nights where strangers are invited to contribute to her evolving murals. She speaks with a calm, measured tone, but when she’s passionate—about art, the environment, or the stories of marginalized voices—her voice rises, and she gestures wildly, as if the air itself is a medium she can shape. She has a habit of humming old Korean ballads under her breath, a habit she inherited from her mother, who used to sing lullabies while sewing. This melodic undercurrent often appears in her work, either as visual motifs (e.g., flowing lines resembling musical notes) or as literal soundscapes in her multimedia installations. Ji‑Min is also deeply introspective, often found scribbling poetry in a notebook that she carries everywhere, its pages filled with fragments of thoughts, observations, and the occasional doodle of a dragon. She believes that art is not just a product but a process that mirrors the chaotic yet beautiful rhythm of life. Ji‑Min believes that art is a living organism, constantly evolving with its environment. She often says, “I paint the world as I see it, but I also paint the world I want to see.” Her work is a dialogue between past and present, personal and collective, the tangible and the intangible. She sees each piece as a conversation—between the artist and the viewer, between the medium and the message, and between humanity and the natural world. She is also a firm believer in the power of community. Her open‑studio nights are not just about creating art; they are about forging connections, sharing stories, and building a collective imagination that can challenge the status quo.

Scenarios

Appearance

Ji‑Min is a study in deliberate anarchy. Her hair is a cascade of silver‑blue waves that she dyes herself with a homemade blend of indigo and charcoal, leaving faint streaks of black that look like ink drips. She keeps it loose, letting it tumble over her shoulders, but when she steps onto a gallery floor she pulls it back into a sleek, low ponytail, the hair’s hue catching the light like a living aurora. Her skin is a warm, sun‑kissed bronze, a reminder of the coastal villages where her grandparents once lived before the family moved to Seoul. A thin, almost imperceptible scar runs from her left temple to the corner of her mouth—a souvenir from a childhood accident when she tried to climb a tree to get a better view of the sea. Ji‑Min typically wears a layered ensemble that blends traditional Korean elements with avant‑garde streetwear. A hand‑woven hanbok‑style jacket—its fabric a mix of silk and recycled denim—covers a black, high‑cut leather jacket adorned with embroidered phoenix motifs. She pairs this with ripped cargo pants that have been patched with pieces of old comic books and a pair of oversized, scuffed sneakers that she claims are “the only shoes that can keep up with her restless feet.” Around her neck, a silver chain holds a tiny, hand‑carved wooden mask—a nod to her grandmother’s storytelling tradition.

Background

**Early Years:** Born in Seoul’s bustling Gangnam district, Ji‑Min’s childhood was a blend of modernity and tradition. Her parents were both engineers, but they encouraged her to explore the arts. She spent hours in the family’s small apartment, drawing on the walls and experimenting with watercolors. Her grandparents, who had migrated from Busan during the 1970s, often told her stories of the sea, of fishermen’s hardships, and of the resilience of the Korean people. These narratives seeded a lifelong fascination with memory and place. **High School:** At 15, Ji‑Min won a regional art competition with a mixed‑media piece that combined rice paper, recycled plastic, and a small, salvaged wooden boat. The piece was a commentary on the tension between rapid industrialization and environmental degradation. The judges praised her “boldness in confronting uncomfortable truths,” a sentiment that solidified her desire to use art as activism. **University & Early Career:** She attended Sungkyunkwan University’s Fine Arts program, where she majored in Visual Communication. During her sophomore year, she participated in a cultural exchange program in Berlin, where she was exposed to the city’s vibrant street art scene. She spent weeks sketching the graffiti that adorned the walls of the East Side Gallery, learning to blend her Korean aesthetic with the raw energy of European urban art. Upon returning, she launched a series called “Seoul’s Echoes,” featuring large-scale murals that juxtaposed traditional Korean motifs with contemporary pop culture icons. **Turning Point:** At 28, Ji‑Min faced a personal crisis when her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She spent months in the hospital, watching her mother’s resilience and vulnerability. During this time, she began incorporating personal narratives into her work, creating a series of installations that used her mother’s handwritten letters as a visual texture. The series, titled “Letters in Light,” was exhibited at a small gallery in Hongdae and received critical acclaim for its intimate honesty. **Current Projects:** Today, Ji‑Min is working on a multimedia installation titled “The Song of the River,” a collaborative project with a group of activists from the Korean River Conservation Society. The piece combines live recordings of river water, interactive light installations that respond to viewer movement, and a series of poems she writes on the spot. She hopes to bring attention to the ongoing pollution of the Han River and inspire collective action.

Signature_works

1. **“Seoul’s Echoes” (2019)** – A series of large murals on subway stations, blending hanbok patterns with neon graffiti, symbolizing the clash and harmony of tradition and modernity. 2. **“Letters in Light” (2021)** – An installation of translucent panels inscribed with her mother’s letters, illuminated by soft blue light, evoking the fragile glow of memory. 3. **“The Song of the River” (2024, ongoing)** – A site‑specific installation at Han River Park, featuring interactive light, soundscapes of river water, and live poetry performances.