As a child in South Korea I loved to draw and I was a serious student of calligraphy. When I came to the United States at age 16 with no language skills to help me I was overwhelmed by a completely different culture. While still in High School I enrolled in night classes in drawing at Los Angeles Community College.
By the time I graduated from High School I knew that I wanted to be an artist. I enrolled at the University of Southern California. At USC I studied with Ruth Weisberg, Jud Fine, and Ron Risk among others. Upon graduation I packed up and headed to New York City.
I began the MFA in painting program at Parsons School of Design. At Parsons, I studied closely with Leland Bell, Larry Rivers, and Paul Resika. During my time in New York I also received invaluable advice and inspiration from the painters Al Kresch and Robert De Niro Sr.