Ami Park, originally from South Korea, is a New York–based artist working primarily in textiles and installation. Her practice explores self-awareness, identity, and perception, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the human mind, emotions, and objects. She approaches them as resonant forces, each emitting vibrations that ripple into one another. These vibrations become both material and metaphor, shaping how inner awareness and cultural experience are felt collectively. Influenced by her immigrant experience, spirituality, and scientific theories, she challenges societal norms and subconscious biases through layered sculptural forms.

Park has exhibited at The Bronx Museum, CICA Museum, The Kube Art Center, Garage Art Center, MoMA PopRally, and Pen + Brush, and Bemis Art Center,among others. She is a recipient of the Bronx Museum’s AIM Fellowship and has completed residencies at LMCC Arts Center, the School of Visual Arts Bio Art Residency, and Uncool Artist, and has received grants from Cerf+, The Puffin Foundation, and New York Foundation for the Arts. Park is a fall resident artist at the Prairie Ronde Residency in Michigan.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I was born in South Korea and am now based in Queens, New York. I work with textiles, treating thread, fabric, and form as carriers of memory, identity, and energy. Living between cultures has deeply shaped my perspective, pushing me to weave together both personal and collective narratives through installation and sculpture.

How has your artistic style evolved over time?

Over time, I’ve shifted toward creating installations with layered symbolism. The pandemic years deepened the meditative, monochromatic quality of my work, while more recent projects have embraced color, community engagement, and interdisciplinary experimentation. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with the unpredictable qualities of foam, especially when combined with yarn and fabric—together they create forms that feel fragile yet unruly, echoing the tension at the heart of my practice.

Can you describe a recent project or artwork that you are particularly proud of?

My recent solo exhibition, Echoes of Silence at the Garage Art Center, included a piece titled The Weight of Wish. It draws from rituals of leaving coins at thresholds or tossing them into ponds, reflecting how cultural practices embody invisible desires. I embedded a penny into foam to explore thresholds as spaces of passage—between inside and outside, memory and material. This piece feels meaningful because it ties personal memory to universal gestures of hope.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?

Every artist encounters obstacles, but I see them less as interruptions and more as part of the practice itself. Challenges test the durability of intention: they strip away what is superficial and force me to ask why I continue. For me, the answer always returns to making—the act of creating becomes both resistance and renewal. In facing uncertainty, I’ve learned that being flexible and adaptable is as vital as persistence. This balance has not only shaped the work but also deepened my belief that art is a lifelong negotiation between fragility and resilience. And through it all, I remind myself to keep the joy of making alive.

Are there any new techniques, mediums, or themes you’d like to explore in the future?

I am interested in exploring new forms of installation and expanding into multisensory experiences. My focus is on how vibrations—both literal and metaphorical—can shape collective experiences and deepen a sense of connection. I am also continuing to develop community-engaged projects such as my Sweet Spot series, which invites participants to share personal narratives. Recently, I have been drawn back to my background in fashion, reflecting on how clothing patterns and structures might be reimagined within my textile practice, shaped by the objects and cultural experiences I carry from both countries. Ultimately, I want my work to move fluidly between intimate self-reflection—as a Korean living in the States—and shared, public encounters. I’m excited to begin exploring this direction more fully during my upcoming residency at Prairie Ronde.

Text & photo courtesy of Ami Park

Website: http://www.ami-park.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam__ami_/