Korean-American painter Wendy Park paints colourful snapshots of childhood memories in Los Angeles, highlighting the socioeconomic nuances of immigrant cultures and the pursuit of the 'American Dream'.
Read MorePark was born in Los Angeles to Korean immigrant parents, and grew up in L.A. during the 1980s and 90s. Like many other immigrants at the time, Park's father worked at 'swap meets' (secondhand markets). The workplace became Park's playground, and objects such as clothing, food, and cardboard boxes would later filter into her colourful canvases.
In 2008, Park completed her BFA at L.A.'s Otis College of Art and Design.
Park's cartoon-like canvases brandish memories from her childhood. Poker Story (2022) and Hwatu Cigs (2022) feature tables littered with playing cards and cigarettes, referencing the poker games played by the artist's father and his colleagues when guarding the workplace during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.
By depicting the ordinary objects and routines that shaped her childhood, Park brings into focus an appreciation for the everyday, and the power of personal narrative in understanding the world around us.
Select solo exhibitions include OFF THE CLOCK, Various Small Fires, Los Angeles (2022); SWAP MEET KID, Bill Brady Gallery, Miami (2022); and CASH ONLY, Kantor Gallery, Los Angeles (2021).
Select group exhibitions include Harmonious Arrangement, Half Gallery, Los Angeles (2022); and Cake Show, The Pit, Los Angeles (2021); among others.
In January 2023, Park will participate in Various Small Fire (VSF)'s presentation for Art SG in Singapore. Park has also presented work at KIAF Seoul with Over the Influence (2021), and at Frieze Los Angeles with VSF (2022).
Wendy Park's website can be found here, and her Instagram can be found here.
Annabel Downes | Ocula | 2022
