Past Lives: Seonna Hong
Past Lives
on view through June 22, 2025
Featuring original work by Seonna Hong, Past Lives uncovers and explores identity-defining memories through dreamlike landscapes, wandering figures, and subtle symbolism. Interweaving her Korean and American heritage, Hong traces how these memories can shape visual narratives to reveal belonging and meaning.
About the artist
Seonna Hong
Seonna Hong (b. 1973) was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated with a B.A. in Art from Cal State University Long Beach and continued to hone her craft teaching art to children for several years. Her paintings are quietly narrative and often autobiographical, no doubt influenced by her time teaching as well as her work in TV and Feature Animation. In 2004, she received an Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Production Design for her work on My Life as a Teenage Robot.
In 2006, she was the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. Her illustrated book, Animus, is in its third printing, and according to Ken Johnson (The New York Times), "...the paintings are beautifully made and the imagery is mysteriously touching." Hong continues to show her work in shows and galleries around the world and is represented by Hashimoto Contemporary.
Programming
Artist Talk with Seonna Hong / Wednesday, February 12 at 1:30 p.m.
Soda Center / Moraga Room
Join the Museum of Art for an artist talk with Seonna Hong in conversation with Hashimoto Contemporary Director Dasha Matsuura. Hong’s memory landscapes are featured in the upcoming exhibition, Past Lives, which traces and interprets Hong’s personal totems and magical thinking as she uncovers traditions and folklore from her Korean heritage. A 20-minute Q&A will follow this 40-minute conversation.
Opening Celebration of Past Lives Exhibition / Thursday, February 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Museum Patio
Join the Museum of Art in celebrating the opening of Past Lives, featuring original paintings and three-dimensional work by Seonna Hong.
- Meet the artist
- Experience the exhibition
- Listen to live music
- Enjoy refreshments and beverages
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Header image: detail of Seonna Hong (b. 1973) Atacama 1, acrylic and oil pastel on raw canvas, 60 x 75 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Hashimoto Contemporary.