Visual Arts

I painted this as a gift for my former violin teacher. She shared a photo she took of her parents walking together in a forest in Korea, and she said she wanted to keep that moment as a painting rather than just a photo. I worked on this piece little by little over two months during summer break, and while painting it, I felt the warmth of her parents’ love and it made my heart feel calm and warm too.

This was the first time I was asked to paint something as a commission. A high school friend asked me to paint him working at his neighborhood café and his girlfriend sitting nearby, because he wanted to give it to her as a gift. Seeing how happy he was when he received the painting made me realize how meaningful it can be to create art for someone else.

I painted this as a gift for my violin teacher. She always starts her lessons with a cup of latte on the table, and I wanted to paint the two things she loves most—her violin and her coffee. While painting this, I kept thinking about how grateful I am for how much I’ve grown since becoming her student.

I sketched this during a house concert at my violin teacher’s home, where Ave Maria was played as a duet for violin and viola. The room felt very still, and the music felt gentle and warm at the same time. I wanted to capture that quiet moment when the sound felt almost like a prayer.