Esther Sung Hong

When Esther Sung Hong was twelve years old the art teacher in her Korean middle school encouraged her to join the art club. A couple years later her high school art teacher also recognized her talent. He mentored her and gave her private lessons. Despite this attention Sung still thought of her art as a hobby. Her teachers and mentors persevered, and Sung went on to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees in Oriental Art. There she was especially influenced by the painting of Korean Master Kno Su-Hyun.

Sung married a Presbyterian minister and followed him to the United States. Since 1986 she has lived in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Korea and Pittsburgh. In every new home Sung has exhibited and sold her work in local galleries. For the past year she has settled in Erie where she lives with her sister.

Sung's specialty is landscapes. They can pose a great challenge because the painter must include lots of empty space. Sung explains, "In Western painting people fill the whole thing with paint. It can look cluttered to us." Pointing to one of her paintings she continues, "In reality there are a lot more trees here, and there is a distant mountain over here, but I decided to leave them out." This active use of negative space requires the artist to employ great self-discipline. "But the landscape still must be recognizable, so you can't take out too much!" adds Sung.

Auer Gallery, 3208 Peach Street, plans to exhibit Sung's watercolor on rice paper landscapes in June. Some of her works will no doubt be recognizable local landmarks and locations, filtered through Sung's Asian sensibility of calm restraint.

Contact Museum Folk Art Coordinator, Kelly Armor for more information.