Artist statement
Thank you.
I haven’t done any art work since last fall.
Something happened to me. At first I was so happy but I became very hurt and sad. I had a very hard time.
I am still not totally fine and I may never be fine with it.
But I know that sometimes terrible things happen to us and we need someone who loves us and supports us to overcome.
Thank you all who prayed for me. And I thank God. He always gives us new hope.
May 31, 2008
Richard
Richard and I have been married for 8 years already. Yesterday was our anniversary.
I feel like I met him just a few days ago. We didn’t do anything special to celebrate.
Instead we walked to the grocery store after we got home in the evening.
On the way to and from the store, he said that he is happy and he made it through some difficult time because of me.
I told him that I am happy to be with him and thanked him for all his supports.
He loves Dak-gal-bi, a very hot and spicy Korean style chicken dish.
So we got some stuff to cook that and came home.
We had a delicious dinner together at home.
Richard is my best friend and he always trusts and supports me even if sometimes he thinks I am ridiculous.
In our marriage, I can’t say that I was always a good wife but
I know that he is the one for I want to spend the rest of my life with.
April 25, 2007
The second exhibit in Asian branch of Oakland public library
I had my first solo exhibit since I started painting at the Asian Branch Library last year.
As a beginner I was very excited.
After that, things happened fast, I couldn’t really take it all in.
However I am getting used to being an artist and finding my own style.
The Asian Branch Library called me this January and asked me to have a show again.
They said that the last show impressed people and they wanted to do it again.
Those words were very nice of them; I was so glad.
I’ve been working on new works. Some new images are from my childhood in the country.
I hope that people feel a breath of fresh air from my work.
April 3, 2007
The night
Last night I took the above photo. It reminded me of a story from a long time ago.
I was born in 1970 in my grandparents’ straw house in Korea.
Most of time I spent my childhood in the country with
my grandparents before going back to the city to go to school.
I have many good memories from that time. I was a happy child.
My grandmother always took me with her to the work in the field and mountains or
to do the laundry at the bank of the stream,
to her friend’s house and more.
That small village didn’t have electricity in every house and had only one T.V., owned by
the richest family in the village.
Most everyone in the village got together and socialized in that house since the family got the T.V.
They watched T.V. together and talked and played.
My grandmother usually joined them after I fell asleep.
I remember that candlelit room in my grandparents’ house where I slept.
One night I woke up and saw I was alone.
I cried and screamed until my neighbors brought my grandmother home to me.
After this, she always took me with her. The moonlight was blue and the night smell was good.
You couldn’t really see clear images or colors at night but
you could see shadows of trees, houses, rocks, mountains, moving animals and tons of stars in the sky.
You could hear wolves and some bugs crying. Each season brought different images, sounds and smells.
Sometimes I was a little scared of the dark but my grandmother made me feel safe.
I remember going to the house with the T.V. but I don’t remember going back home.
I miss my grandmother very much.
She passed away when I was 9.
I treasure the memories that I have of her in the country.
March 15, 2007
Art History class
I am taking Art History and
ASL II this semester.
About my art class… we started way back, before written history and now we are in the Egyptian era.
Every class has been interesting and I am amazed by ancient art.
I especially like these old cave paintings.
Wall paintings with four horses, Chauvet Cave, France 28,000 BC,
Hall of Bulls, Lascaux Cave, France 15,000-13,000 BC
I see that some are very realistic but also some are very simplified images.
The colors of the cave paintings are so beautiful. The cave is very old but seems somehow modern.
So many artists and their amazing and sometimes mysterious works are everywhere; enduring throughout history.
We can imagine the time period and the way they lived through them.
Art has many meanings.
I don’t think I will ever feel my art is good enough but I love creating things. What else could I do anyway?
I just keep going.
One story from my class is about some research from Europe.
They studied two groups of children;
one that grew up with visual media like T.V. or computers and the other that grew up without.
The result showed that the first group perceived around 100 colors
while the group that grew up without visual media perceived around 500 colors.
A lesson we can take from this is to take our children out to see the real world.
February 3, 2007
Merry Christmas.
I've been teaching Korean at my church every Saturday.
I started learning American Sign Language.
I worked a part time nanny last four months.
I’ve been busy this fall.
I took care of Bahia, my friends Anne and Glynn's daughter.
They are going to have second child this weekend. Bahia is a very beautiful and smart girl.
We went to the library to read books and then went to the park.
We took a music class together every Tuesday and went to a little studio at
MOCHA
every Thursday to do painting, crafts and more. She is very nice and fun to hang out with.
I taught her some sign and Korean. She usually learned them easily.
I sang songs for her all the time. She loves to say “sing again", "sing for me, Won~~~ju”
Yes, I am learning ASL (American Sign Language).
I have a few of friends who are interpreters. I met them through Lala.
They thought I was good at ASL and I was interested in learning it.
During this semester I learned many things about
American deaf community and culture;
not just ASL.
Today I finished my first semester of ASL classes and I finished my nannying job this Monday.
I finished a new painting. I feel good that something’s done finally.
I am going to start another solo art show at
Momo sushi this Saturday.
I don't have many new paintings and I feel little afraid to tell people about my show again
(you know that I had enough exhibits this year).
But I strongly recommend stopping by the restaurant because food is wonderful.
I wish you all a joyful and merry Christmas.
December 13, 2006
Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
Joined Forces A Premier Fine Art Exhibit
In June of last year I went to see
East Bay Open Studios with my good friend
Erin as a viewer.
After that I started painting. This year I was a participant in the show as an artist.
This is the first time being outside with other great artists and their many beautiful works of art.
“Joined Forces” with 9 different East Bay artists was very fun.
They are all nice and have strong passion for art. I learned many things from them like what inspired them to start making art, what kind of paint and canvases they use or where you can go to get good frames, prints and more. We all have a lot in common like they love colors, media, nature, textures, people, food, animals, camera, helping, jokes, lots of jokes…laughing…
This time was great but we all agreed that the next one would be even better.
It was a wonderful experience for me.
June 19, 2006
Origami workshops
I like doing origami workshops with kids. Children are curious,creative and fun.
May 13, 2006
No common theme
Some friends told me that my paintings were all different; that I didn’t have a common theme running through them.
I just want to try everything. Many things are going in my mind. All different ways, views, lives and thoughts…so many things.
May 11, 2006
Gone to new owners
Recently some of my artwork left me to go to new owners. This means a lot to me.
I am very happy that people love art and that someone really likes my work.
The other side I feel little bit sad that I have to let the pieces go and that I might never see them again in person.
However, I think that art should be out there for people enjoy.
I have many things that I want to express in my painting. I definitely would love to share my view with people.
May 2, 2006
Do what you love, Love what you’re doing.
I was concerned about what people think about my art.
I asked people, if they liked my work.
I wanted to hear what they really think and some constructive criticism for improving my work.
I was afraid and I was not sure about my work. Because, I've never been to art school and I just started .
This morning I woke up with the thought that I have to love my work. It doesn’t really matter what people think.
I love painting and doing some art work. That’s enough.
I said to myself that Do what you love and Love what you’re doing.
April 16, 2006
First solo exhibit
Last night my first solo exhibit started at the Asian Branch of Oakland Public Library.
I was so nervous before the opening reception.
I started painting last year. I had never thought much about painting; it was just not my work.
Suddenly I wanted to paint. Once I started I couldn’t stop. Lala, my sister-in-law said to me you are so prolific.
All my family and friends who used to know me were very surprised when they found out I am painting.
Because they’ve never thought that I would become a painter either.
Not too long after I started, I met one of my neighbors who is an artist.
She saw my painting and introduced me to the Frank Bette Center for Art .
My first selected group exhibition was September 2005.
One of the guests at the show referred me to the Asian Branch of Oakland Public Library.
They liked my artwork and asked me to have an exhibit.
I thank God that he gave me this opportunity.
I really appreciate all the people who came and offered their congratulations to me yesterday.
March 21, 2006
My cat, Rudy
My cat's name was Rudy.
She was a blue point Siamese. She was very skinny and had beautiful blue eyes.
She also had a loud,loud crying voice. She lived in the
closet in my parents-in-law's most of her life.
She was shy and didn't like the dogs chasing her.
After I strated living with my parents-in-law, I didn't really see her at first.
Because she was always hiding somewhere, mostly in the closet.
But one
day I dreamt about her while I was asleep. She came and talked to me.
She said 'I don't hate people, I am just afraid.'
Rudy loved my husband and me.
I never had cats for pet before. So, it wasn't easy living with cats but
I started to love her.
Rudy moved out with us. She had changed.
She didn't hide any more. She was always in our living room on the sofa.
Last year we moved to Oakland,CA for good. She came with us. She was happy. She loved sleeping on the computer
monitor (which subsequently broke; cat vomit is not good for monitors).
She passed away
last April. She died of old age. I watched her to die on my couch. My husband
and I were sooooo sad. We cried a lot. But we were glad that
we didn't need to put her to sleep. She lived the last part of her life happily with us
and she died peacefully. You will meet her on my painting.
September, 2005
Artist statement: Won-ju Hulse
Won-ju has been creating and showing her origami artwork since 2003.
She began painting in 2005, inspired by nature and dreams.
Using jewel-like glazes of color and incorporating her familiar folded paper shapes,
her playful and reflective paintings find poetry in a wide variety of subjects.
Won-ju was born in South Korea, where she grew up.
In 2001 she moved to Boise, Idaho, and has lived in Oakland, California since 2004.
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