The Arkansas State University–Beebe Art Department is proud to present the artworks of Arkansas artist Soyoon Ahn during the month of September.
The public is invited to meet Ahn and view her work during the exhibit reception from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the England Center Art Gallery, located at 201 North Orange Street in Beebe. The exhibit offers an opportunity to experience the distinctive combination of pottery, painting, and Korean folk-art influences that characterize Ahn’s work.
Born and raised in Seoul, Korea, Ahn’s artistic work draws inspiration from Korean folk art, Minwha. With over 12 years of experience in creating functional pottery, she has explored ways to integrate traditional Korean folk painting designs into modern American ceramics. Throughout her career, she has received several awards for her ceramics and Korean folk paintings.
“My artistic practice is centered on the movement of 'modernizing tradition,’” Ahn said. I am deeply intrigued by how ancient techniques, specifically traditional Korean pottery and folk painting, can be reimagined through a contemporary lens to engage in a dialogue with the future.”
Ahn said she works across the mediums of ceramics and painting, seeking a natural way to bridge the two worlds.
“In my ceramic work, I embrace the unpredictability of the fire, while my Korean folk paintings, Minwha, offer a sense of calm through controlled, delicate brushwork,” Ahn said. “Both practices are rooted in a desire to capture elements of nature and imbue them with a refined Korean aesthetic.”
Ahn serves as an adjunct professor of art at the University of the Ozarks and Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. In 2024, she opened her art studio at Atelier A. in downtown Russellville, where she offers pottery classes for the community. Students can learn basic wheel throwing skills, hand-building techniques, and surface decoration skills in her studio.
Ahn’s beautifully functional creations are displayed in the Boswell-Mourot Fine Art Gallery in Little Rock, the Historic Arkansas Museum Store in Little Rock, and the Arkansas Craft Gallery in Mt. View.
“I believe the most rewarding moments in my career occur when people from diverse backgrounds connect with my pieces, allowing Korean aesthetics to become part of their personal narratives. Through this exhibition, I invite you to experience the harmony between the earthy spontaneity of clay and the intricate details of tradition,” Ahn said.
Admission is free, and the gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the month of September.
The England Center Art Gallery is located at 201 North Orange Street in Beebe. The gallery presents works of art by students and featured artists throughout the academic year. Admission is free, and the gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Thomas Fernandez at (501) 882-8913 or the England Center Art Gallery reception office at (501) 882-4495.
ASU-Beebe is the only two-year college in central Arkansas that offers an Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree. The AFA degree has an emphasis in vocal music or instrumental music, theater, graphic design, or creative arts enterprise. This degree is a comprehensive two-year curriculum designed specifically for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
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