Rice holds a significant place in Soo Kim Yung’s family and memories. It also is the medium for the Atlanta painter’s minimal and abstract works.
Artist: Born in South Korea, she immigrated to Cleveland, OH, with her family in 1996. They moved to Atlanta in 2000. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Yung lives in Atlanta and works out of a home-based studio.
Why rice: She started working with rice after taking a class on non-traditional mediums. Yung wanted to find a material that held personal significance to her. Rice immediately came to mind:
“Rice is a staple in our household, an integral part of almost every meal my family enjoys. Thinking about rice evokes memories of my grandmother, who used to make sure my sister and I finished every grain of rice in our bowls.
“As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand the deeper meaning behind her insistence on not wasting any food. She lived through the impoverished times of the Korean War and experienced firsthand the hardships and scarcity of resources.
“My grandmother and I experience and understand rice differently, but it still holds a significant place in both of our lives.”
Art & materials: Paintings with minimal and simplified abstract forms, using rice as a medium, complemented by the addition of watercolor colors.
What’s popular: Framed small works with rice ($160 to $650).
Other favorites: 24-inch x 30-inch rice paintings ($2,800).
Process: To achieve different hues:
- Roasts some grains of rice over low heat.
- Secures rice in place, using thinset, which also provides protection and preservation.
- Applies multiple layers of acrylic gel medium and UV matte varnish as a sealant.
She utilizes more than 20 different types of rice and a diverse range of grains in her artwork.
Favorite tools: Tweezers and brushes.
Fun or unusual commissions: Made a rice sculpture of her cat. (Pictured right).
“I’m not sure if I would attempt this again as it was very challenging,” she said.
Recent awards/honors: Work accepted in the ArtFields (SC), 2023 competition.
Recent project: Created a new body of work called “Rice Cakes,” which were all pieces inspired by different types of rice cakes.
What’s new: Solo show at Echo Contemporary Art in Atlanta. Through June 17.
Where to buy: sookimyung.com
Get social: Instagram: @sookimyung.art
