Shyun Song

Born and educated in South Korea, Shyun Song moved to the United States in 1989. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Education from Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea. Her work experience includes 15 years as a banker in Seoul and 3 years teaching in Los Angeles. After moving to New York in 2000, she studied at the Art Students League of New York with William Scharf. She is currently painting full-time at her home studio.

It took her several decades to return to her first love: art. In grade school, she was a self-motivated young artist. During her adolescent years, however, the scope of her curiosity about life widened and art seemed too narrow a path for her. In college, the motto of her major, self-realization, inspired her and it became an enduring theme in her life. While she was writing a critical analysis on children's literature for her Master's degree in Education, she was convinced of the fullness of human potential.

Song enjoyed her banking career for its constantly challenging situations that demanded her to develop the wide spectrum of her potential. Teaching, however, was not for her, although it was rewarding. When she began drawing at the League, she found herself feeling immediately at home. Resuming art meant a homecoming after a long excursion.

Painting is not merely an aesthetic endeavor for me, but also an existential one. Life is the overarching theme of my paintings. I hope to share with others my observations in life in simple yet layered terms.

Life has always been the most intriguing subject to me. I see it as a giant sphere which coalesces with the myriad facets of the shared human experience. I aim to express how I perceive such facets on canvas.

I begin my delineation with a subject, which usually becomes the title of the painting. The delineation is succinct in order to capture the essence of the subject. I let my intuition dictate a geometric composition by applying my own symbolic logic. The lines, shapes, angles, and placements are formed and the color scheme follows. While executing it on canvas, I find myself instinctively improvising along the way to achieve its aesthetic value.

Art satisfies her fully as it demands all of her being, as well as that of the viewer. She believes that a total rapport through art can expand our souls.