Born: 1971
Hometown: Middlebury
Based in: Connecticut
Leeah Joo is a Korean-American painter who explores themes of cross-cultural experiences. Born in 1971 in Seoul, Leeah was raised by a sculptor father and an illustrator mother. At age 10, her family moved to Indianapolis, where she spent her youth. She studied painting and art history at Indiana University in Bloomington and received her MFA in painting from Yale School of Art. Recipient of Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant and CT Artist Fellowship, she has exhibited widely in the U.S. and South Korea. She lives and works in Connecticut.
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by stories, old and new, historical and fictional.
Describe your creative process.
I create still life with dramatic lighting and paint from observation, sitting in front of the subject.
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
Realistic, detailed, colorful
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
Super tiny brushes.
Where do you go for inspiration?
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I live 1.5 hours from it and I visit it often.
Awards
Charlotte Street Fund Fellowship
2001
George Sugarman Foundation Grant
2004
Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant
2006
Puffin Foundation Grant
2013
Berkshire Taconic Foundation A.R.T Grant
2013
Connecticut Commission of Culture, Artist Fellowship
2018
Awards
Charlotte Street Fund Fellowship
2001
George Sugarman Foundation Grant
2004
Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant
2006
Puffin Foundation Grant
2013
Berkshire Taconic Foundation A.R.T Grant
2013
Connecticut Commission of Culture, Artist Fellowship
2018