“In my paintings, through a symbolic gesture and the opening of a drawer, two seemingly separate dimensions are integrated. It's about finding connection and openness.” - Seongmin Ahn
An immigrant, Ahn depicts the natural world using Baroque ornamentation on familiar Asian subjects, such as peonies or shelves outflows into the sea. Blending the two cultures, Ahn combines her artistic training in Korean black ink wash and color painting with Western influences from abstract and conceptual art. In her bold compositions and saturated blocks of color, her style also reflects the influence of Korean minhwa folk art, which reached its peak in the 19th century during the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392-1910). Ahn was born in South Korea, where she studied art at Seoul National University. She now lives in New York City.