Artist Statement

In my exploration of nature-inspired abstraction through mixed media painting and stitching with home sewing machines, I embark on a journey of discovery akin to observing nature under magnification. Each brushstroke and layer of texture, and stitches intertwines to unveil the mystical and magical essence of the natural world, revealing the intricate dance of life and the delicate balance of ecosystems. Through contemplating the beauty and the ugliness inherent in these forms, I conceive of hybrid compositions that celebrate the profound interconnectivity of all living beings.

As I guide painting through the sewing machine, I am reminded of the threads that bind us to nature and to each other. My approach to the canvas, pushing the painted work through the sewing machine, is an exploration of the emotional experiences in my practice. I found it to be a subtle metaphor of the punctuations we artificially insert and assert into our natural state. The process of stitching also builds tension onto the canvas, and it puts on full display the deliberate labor of sewing, juxtaposed with the incidental abstraction of the painting.

Yet, amidst this work practice, I cannot ignore the looming specter of climate change, which threatens to disrupt the harmonious patterns I seek to capture. Through the marriage of painting and stitching, I invite viewers to contemplate the profound beauty and fragility of our planet, inspiring reverence and action to protect and preserve it for generations to come.

Artist Bio

On-Kyeong Seong is a mixed media artist originally from Seoul, South Korea and currently lives and works in Peabody, MA. She was a teacher at an elementary school in Korea for many years and then came to Boston to pursue her dream as an artist. She delved into art and culture when she traveled to Boston and NYC. She received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and her second BFA from Lesley University Art and Design, Cambridge. Her work has been exhibited widely, including Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI, Coastal Contemporary Gallery, Newport, RI, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA, Wheelock College and Boston University, Boston; Kingston Gallery, Boston; the Korean Consulate General, Newton, MA; Brookline Art Center, Brookline, MA; Harvard University and Mass Art College, Boston, among others. She has been included in numerous art magazines and broadcasts, such as WBURs Artery, Boston’s WHDH TV Channel 7, Artsy, Art New England, Artscope Magazine, Contemporary Art Curator, Spotlight Magazine and many more.

Website