Meet Youngmin Park | Artist & Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Youngmin Park and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Youngmin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As an artist and a freelancer myself, I definitely think about work-life balance, and although I still struggle a lot to find the right balance, I’d say it has drastically changed over recent years. Since moving to New York in 2022, I have faced two inflection points in life. The first one happened when I first entered Columbia University for my MFA(Master of Fine Arts) degree. I remember being confused with everything, not knowing what to do as it was my first time living abroad alone. I was so easily distracted from work by all the gatherings and gallery openings. That’s when an artist from my upper year gave me this advice that I would have to fight for my studio time no matter what. It might sound like a piece of very plain advice but to me back then, it hit me hard and centered my focus on producing. Studio- home- studio- home- was all I was doing during the whole time in the Master’s program and eventually, I was given a funny nickname by my friends, which by the way I’m not proud of at all, ‘pro-nonattender’ which literally meant that I wouldn’t attend to any socials events. Then after graduation in 2024, I had a huge burnout until fall and that’s when I got into a case where I was assaulted in the streets by a group just one week before my group exhibition opening. But even then, I was in such intense work mode, that I just covered my injured face with an eyepatch and went about my entire schedule. I flew back to Korea afterward for surgery and was lucky to be quickly treated. But that near-death experience was again an inflection point in my life, which sort of took me out of that work-only cycle and put me down to a freeing state.

Now that I’m back in New York and since I’ve healed enough, I’m back in work mode and I still get stressed if I’m not as productive as I hope. I think it’s almost unavoidable in the city environment full of dense dynamics but I try to remember the thoughts I had during the last experience. Now I engagingly fight for a freeing space and time knowing that life is as important, if not more, important than work.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I don’t make a lot of decisions. But when I do, I like to stick to them. Since I was very young, I had a huge admiration for people that would pursue one thing throughout their entire life. I found it so beautiful regardless of the field or skill. So naturally, I also wanted to find my die-hard dedication in life. During my elementary years, there was a point when I had to choose what my major would be between violin and fine art in order to apply for an art middle school. It wasn’t easy to give up one because I was seriously pursuing both. I ended up choosing fine art, but at the time I didn’t even know what it meant to be an artist. The process of going through repeated entrance exams from art middle school to art high school to art university may have been painful for some, but I actually enjoyed every moment. The idea of drawing something together with my friends was exciting to me, and most of all, seeing my skill develop over time felt like my own growth. The moment I started wondering what kind of paintings I would be making in the future, I knew that this was what I would be growing old with. And of course, I’ve faced challenges and even limits, comparing myself to others, but knowing that this isn’t a short-term thing helped me out of the stress from being rushed or feeling not good enough. I constantly remind myself to take good care of myself and my surroundings to create solid work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Queens, New York would be number one on the checklist. As the saying goes, there’s nothing you can’t find in Queens, it’s the perfect place to experience why New York is called the melting pot. It is such a culturally rich borough with diverse communities blended while still maintaining their distinct identities. No matter how many times you visit the area, you will spot, eat, and learn something new.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are lists and lists of people that come to my mind who have supported me starting from the begining and throughout. Still, to give a special shoutout to a few, Calvin Kim(Somang Kim) is a painter who I deeply thank. I met him on the first day of the Columbia Universtity Master of Fine Arts program, and ever since then, he has been a friend to me who has not only encouraged my work but also constantly given me the strength to not lose my center. He is also the most talented and hard-working painter and it brings me so much motivation.

I would also like to express my gratitude towards Emilia Yin, the founder and director of Make Room Gallery Los Angeles. Emilia is someone who has trusted me from the very beginning of my career and boosted my path. I respect her a lot for always taking care of her artists and everyone around her with passion and generosity. 100% boss!

Website: https://youngminpark.net

Instagram: @_mae_ee

Image Credits
Studio portrait and all individual documenation credit: Daniel Greer