Soo Kim Yung
(b. 1990) Korean-American

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Soo Yung is a Korean-American painter whose work is deeply informed by her family’s immigrant experience and cultural heritage.

Raised with the care and guidance of her grandparents, who lived through the Korean War and witnessed their country’s transformation from poverty to prosperity, Soo’s practice reflects an ongoing journey of self-discovery, cultural connection, and cross-generational dialogue.

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Working primarily with rice as her medium, she meticulously places each grain by hand with tweezers — a process that honors the labor and history carried within this humble, everyday material. This careful, meditative practice pays tribute to times of scarcity while also reflecting on the contrasts of contemporary life marked by abundance and excess.

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Her artistic journey is an exploration of heritage, resilience, and the power of shared experience. Through her work, Soo invites viewers on a thoughtful, culturally rich voyage that bridges past and present, individual and collective memory, and tradition and contemporary life.

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Recurring themes of diligence, harmony, and enduring connection run throughout her practice, offering tangible reflections on the values and narratives that continue to shape our world.

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The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Savannah College of Art and Design feature her work in their collections. Soo was accepted into the Leap Year Artist program with Mint in 2023 and Hambidge Art residency 2024. 

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Currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia, she holds a BFA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her works have been exhibited in museums and gallery shows, including the Besharat Museum Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Mason Fine Arts (Atlanta, GA), Stay Home Gallery (Paris, TN), Swan Coach House Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Atlanta Contemporary (Atlanta, GA), Echo Contemporary Art (Atlanta, GA), and Spruill Gallery (Dunwoody, GA).