Hyun Jung Kim

Biography

I am a mom, a wife, a teacher and an artist who loves flowers. I am passionate and bold and eagerly work to challenge myself to make my life adventurous. After I earned my Ph.D. Cand. in counseling in Korea, I moved to the USA in 2005 to continue my study. Around 2007, I decided to take an art class as a hobby. I truly enjoyed and loved art making. I competed in Virginia’s regional art contests and I surprisingly came first place. Winning my first competition was very rewarding and encouraging so I decided to continue to learn to draw and paint. After I finished my counseling studies, I returned to my home country Seoul, Korea in 2013. I started learning botanical art in Seoul Women’s University “Flora Academy”. In 2017, I competed in Korean Society of Botanical art competition and won the honor of Gold key winner. Now I teach and volunteer as an art teacher and art therapist in communities, art centers, and schools. I find great joy educating people about botanical art and it’s fascinating to see each of my students’ botanical drawings.

I love to travel to find unique flowers and plants. I become a photographer and try to capture the most beautiful moment of the plant. Whenever I travel to other countries, I visit botanical gardens and conservatories to find rare plants that I have never seen before from all over the world. Flowers are beautiful things that God has created. And they are most beautiful when they are in nature especially under the sunlight. When flowers are hit by strong sunlight, their colour pops and shines. All of my botanical artworks show this contrast between light and shadow. I not only draw the flower but the light that is captured on the flower.

I want to say that botanical art gives me great happiness. In addition, I want everyone who sees my botanical artwork to feel happy, warm, and bright as if they are showered by the sun.

I love teaching botanical art so I work as a teacher now. I have taught botanical art in Dangook university art class for foreign students and Daewang middle school. I am currently teaching Botanical art class at Starfield Academy, Emart Academy, Junggu Women’s Plaza Academy. Through 2011~2020 I exhibited my work at SBA Plante 2020 online Show, Gallery Lamer, Seoul, Kyungin Gallery, Seoul, Ilwoo Space Gallery, Seoul, Lotte premium outlet mall Gallery, Gallery J, Seoul and Art world Gallery, Seoul Insa Art Gallery, Fair fax Government Center, Virginia, US, Annandale Community Center Gallery, Virginia, US. I have collaborated with one of Korea’s biggest companies Sinsegae, Emart’s new line Peacock to design the product’s image of the package. I have been invited to Germany, the company Faber Castell and had the opportunity to work with talented botanical artists. I continue to pursue my career as botanical artist and now I run my own botanical art studio Gallery J as a president.

Instagram @botanicalartisthannah