Modern Korean Folk Art on Display at Westbury Arts

Westbury Arts held the opening reception for Joan Kim Suzuki’s “The Gift of Remembrance: Modern Korean Folk Art Exhibition” on May 5, which is celebrated as Children’s Day in South Korea and Japan.

Suzuki is a Korean American artist whose mission is to show the beauty of her culture to people who were raised in multicultural or immigrant families like herself.

Her solo exhibition at Westbury Arts honors AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage month, and all the sweat, tears, and prayers of the ancestors who left everything behind in order to give their children a bright future.

Suzuki’s story is woven into the canvas with the brilliant colors of Asia, creating an immersive experience, and putting vivid color back into the black-and-white faded memories of her family’s past.

At the opening reception, Suzuki spoke movingly about her motivation and the inspiration behind her work, particularly highlighting the influence of her grandmother Jong Soo Park’s story of the hardships she faced during and after World War II, as well as the resilience with which she surmounted them.

Suzuki illustrated her grandmother’s story in a moving series of digital paintings, which are paired with her grandmother’s narrative in her own words.

The exhibition runs through May 26 and is open to the public for viewing on Thursdays (12-4 p.m.), Fridays (2- 6 p.m.), and Saturdays (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) The Westbury Arts gallery is located at 255 Schenck Ave., Westbury, and admission is free. Parking is available at the municipal lot directly across the street on Schenck Avenue.

Westbury Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to delivering arts and cultural programs that connect, educate, and inspire the community.

This program is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and is administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.

More of Suzuki’s work can be viewed at marichanartstudio.com and her journey can be followed on her Instagram page @marichanartstudio.

For more information about Westbury Arts and upcoming events, visit westburyarts.org.