Song Watkins Park

Artist Statement

My work explores the interplay between narrative, identity, and the human psyche through figurative painting. Using my own nude body as subject, I create intimate, symbolic narratives that reclaim the female figure as a space of introspection and strength—rather than objectification.
Rooted in my experience growing up in Korea and living in the U.S., my paintings draw on personal memory, cultural stories, and the shifting sense of identity within the Asian diaspora. I navigate themes of belonging, distance, and transformation across time and place. The natural and often empty spaces I depict aren’t just backdrops—they’re psychological landscapes where fear and curiosity coexist, and where meaning is shaped by what we carry with us.
Much of what I reach for is a sense of internal grounding—a return to the imaginative, emotional quiet of childhood, and a deeper understanding of self shaped by both heritage and change. Through painting myself nude—without adornment or externally imposed narratives—I assert authorship over my own story and body.
Color is essential to this inner terrain: cool hues convey melancholy, longing, and emotional distance; warm tones embody vitality, curiosity, and presence. These visual choices, paired with ambiguous yet symbolic settings, allow the figure’s gesture and gaze to guide open-ended, reflective narratives.
Through this approach, my work becomes a visual folklore—woven from memory, identity, and imagination. It invites viewers into a deeply personal, yet resonant emotional landscape that connects inner and outer worlds.