What Does It Mean to Trust the Process of Finding Your Voice?

Min Park’s journey as an artist and designer spans continents, disciplines, and stories. Born in South Korea and now based in Brooklyn, she combines her cross-cultural experiences to create visual narratives that bridge memory, identity, and dreams. With a background in both fine art and design, her practice blends drawing, painting, and illustration into works that carry layers of symbolism and emotion. Her career has taken her from small illustration commissions and early group exhibitions to international shows, solo presentations, and recognition through prestigious design awards.

In this conversation, Min opens up about how her career began, starting from the simple act of drawing as a way to process thoughts and emotions, to finding her voice while studying and working in two very different cultural contexts. She shares how she knows when a piece is coming together, describing the moment when a work feels alive and starts to carry the story she wants to tell. She also discusses the ongoing challenge of balancing her creative career with her personal life, and how she has learned to carve out space for both art and rest, recognising that one feeds the other.

The interview also takes us into her studio process, where ink and watercolour remain central, but experimentation with mixed media keeps her work open and evolving. She speaks about her hopes for the future, envisioning her art reaching a wider audience and sparking moments of empathy across cultures and experiences. And for aspiring artists, she offers a reminder to stay curious, keep experimenting, and trust in the slow but steady process of finding a voice through making.

Through her words, we gain not just a window into her practice but also insight into how an artist can navigate tradition and contemporary life while remaining committed to storytelling and connection.

I’m a Brooklyn-based artist and designer, and my work explores the intersections of dreams, identity, and memory. Born in South Korea and later moving to the United States, I draw on my cross-cultural background to create visual narratives that bridge tradition and contemporary experience. I hold a BFA in Visual Communication Design from Dankook University and an MFA in Communication Design from Pratt Institute. My work has been exhibited internationally, including solo shows at The Living Gallery in Brooklyn (The Journey, 2023; Myths and Tales, 2023) and group exhibitions such as Art on Paper NYC (2024) and Power in Numbers 8 at Gallery Nucleus in California (2023). I’ve been honoured with multiple Gold Awards from the MUSE Creative and Design Awards, and in addition to my practice, I also serve as an educator and mentor. I’ve taught at Pratt Institute and Llion Art Academy, and in 202,5 I served as a mentor for AIGA New York.

1. How did you get started in your art career?    

I first started my art career through drawing and painting, which were always ways for me to process my thoughts and dreams. Growing up between Korea and the United States, I often felt caught between cultures, and art became the language where I could express what I couldn’t put into words. While studying design in South Korea and later pursuing my MFA at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, I began to merge illustration, painting, and storytelling into a practice that explored themes of identity and belonging. My early opportunities came from small group exhibitions and illustration commissions for startups and musicians, which helped me gain confidence in sharing my work publicly. From there, I continued to develop my studio practice alongside professional design work, leading to solo exhibitions, group shows, and recognition through various awards. Each step has been about balancing personal storytelling with creating connections to larger communities, which still drives my practice today.

2. When you’re creating something new, what makes you pause and say, This is working?

When I’m creating something new, I pause and feel like it’s working when the piece starts to resonate emotionally, both for me and for the story I’m trying to tell. It’s not just about technical accuracy—it’s when the lines, colors, and composition begin to capture the feeling or memory I had in mind. There’s a sense of cohesion even in the chaos of experimentation. It’s that quiet moment when the work feels alive and true.

3. How do you balance your personal life with your art career?

Balancing my personal life with my art career can be challenging, but I strive to approach both with intention. I set aside dedicated time for creating, while also carving out space for rest, relationships, and experiences that inspire me. I’ve found that taking care of myself and staying curious about the world actually feeds my art, and having boundaries helps me stay focused and passionate when I’m in the studio.

4. How do you envision the future of your art and its impact on the world?  

I envision my art continuing to explore identity, memory, and dreams, while also reaching a broader audience through exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms. I hope it encourages viewers to reflect on their own experiences, question assumptions, and find connections across cultures and personal histories. Ultimately, I want my work to create moments of empathy and understanding, showing that even in our differences, there are shared emotions and stories that unite us.

5. What mediums and techniques do you primarily work with?

I primarily work with ink and watercolour, often combining delicate linework with layered washes to create dream-like, narrative-driven compositions. I also experiment with mixed media and illustration techniques, allowing me to explore texture, depth, and subtle visual storytelling in each piece.

6. Do you have any parting words of wisdom for our readers or aspiring artists?

I would say to aspiring artists, trust your curiosity and stay true to your voice. It’s easy to get caught up in trends or comparisons, but your unique perspective is what will make your work resonate. Keep experimenting, embrace mistakes as part of the process, and remember that every small step you take in your practice brings you closer to discovering who you are as an artist.

Min Park’s work is a weaving of memory, identity, and the dream world, expressed through ink, watercolour, and layered storytelling. Her journey shows us how crossing cultures and disciplines can open new pathways for expression, while also grounding her practice in empathy and connection.

From her beginnings as a young painter searching for language between two cultures to her present-day role as an exhibiting artist, educator, and mentor, her path reminds us that art can be both a process of discovery and a bridge for shared understanding. Through this interview, we see how she balances curiosity with discipline, and how her work continues to grow as both an exploration of her heritage and an invitation for viewers to find something familiar within her stories.

To learn more about Min, visit the links below.

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