ARTist
Steve Moon
As an artist shaped by the rich cultural heritage of Korea and life experiences across continents, I strive to listen to the quiet voice of my childhood—its memories, dreams, and mysteries. Born in Gaeseong and raised in Seoul, my roots are deeply embedded in tradition, spirituality, and nature. My years as an illustrator taught me how to communicate with clarity and intention—how to deliver messages that are abstract, yet vivid; complex, yet harmonious.
In my paintings, I explore the spiritual and emotional layers of the human experience—blending conflict with balance, silence with expression. Through color, form, and symbol, I attempt to approach the undefined edges of the mind, to honor culture, and to reveal truths that words cannot always hold.
Art, for me, is a journey. I travel across genres and styles in search of deeper meaning, guided by an inner voice that never stops asking questions. I invite you, the viewer, to travel with me—through feeling, reflection, and the shared space where spirit and image meet.
biography
Group Exhibition (2024)
Inchon Art Fair, Seoul, Korea
Tryst Art Fair, Torrance, California, USA
KAASC 55th Annual Exhibition (Korean Cultural Center), Los Angeles, CA, USA
The Wynmoon Art Show, Miami, Florida, USA
Solo Exhibition (2023, 2024), Los Angeles, CA, USA
Solo Cyber Art Show (2020, 2021, 2022)
Group Exhibitions, Los Angeles (1994 – 2019)
Solo Exhibitions, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1992)
Group Show, Buenos Aires. Argentina (1991)
Creative Art Director, Korean Community Newspaper — Buenos Aires, Argentina (1987–1992)
- Illustrator, Seou, Korea (1979 – 1987)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Hong-ik University, Seoul, Korea (1979)
“Steve Moon’s work is a profound reflection of his unique journey—born in Gaeseong, educated in Seoul, and shaped by years as an illustrator for major publications. His mastery lies in transforming abstract emotions and personal memories into visual expressions that are both accessible and deeply moving.
Rooted in childhood memories, shamanistic elements, and the awe of nature—mountains, plants, animals—his paintings radiate a spiritual energy. His time in Argentina further enriched his artistic language, strengthening his reverence for tradition, heritage, and cultural preservation. Steve’s use of Korean traditional five-color theory is both restrained and expansive, proving his ability to evoke infinite feeling with limited palette.
His work invites viewers not just to observe, but to feel—becoming part of the spirit and story he so vividly conveys.
“
–D.C. Chung
“The Color Between Mountains”
I was born from the whisper of rivers,
carried on my mother’s back across the Imjin’s last ferry—
a child too young to speak,
yet the soil of Gaeseong lives in my skin like memory.
My childhood unfolded between Inwang and Ansan,
where ponds mirrored the sky
and the scent of acacia taught me to look upward—
and inward.
In the corners of Seoul, I began to draw:
chalk, ink, silence, longing.
Later, as an illustrator,
I learned how to speak without words,
how to deliver a message both vivid and abstract.
But when clarity blurred into confinement,
I left.
To Argentina—
where Pampas winds met my doubt,
and the old spirits of Gauchos and Inca women
reminded me:
not all truths have edges.
I saw beauty in hard lives.
Stories in wind.
And the quiet strength of preserving one’s roots
in a land that feels both foreign and familiar.
So I paint—
not answers,
but questions.
Where does memory live?
What shape is longing?
Can conflict and harmony share a canvas?
My art is a journey
across time, borders, and spirit—
carried by color,
guided by a voice
that began in the arms of a woman
crossing a river
toward the unknown
with hope in her heart
and a child in her arms.
My Artistic Journey: A Life Told in Color, Spirit, and Categories
As I reflect on my artistic journey, I’ve come to realize how deeply my life experiences have shaped my work—and how important it is to share that path with you, the viewer. My paintings are not just images; they are chapters of a life lived through migration, memory, and meaning. To honor that, I’ve chosen to organize my artworks into distinct categories, each echoing a specific period, a voice, a place in time.
After graduating from college in Seoul, I began my career as a graphic illustrator for leading magazines and newspapers. In those early years, I disciplined myself to transform abstract ideas into clear visual messages tailored for targeted audiences. One representative piece from that time—an eye, full of longing for truth yet bound by inner conflict and external constraints—was chosen as the cover of the November 1987 edition of Omni science magazine. That image was later recognized internationally as a symbol of human resilience in the face of limitations.
In 1987, I left for Argentina—a journey I now understand as a sabbatical for my body and soul. I was searching for freedom beyond commercial constraints, eager to listen to the earth, to history, to spirit. Living in Argentina for six years, I immersed myself in its culture and landscapes—from the silent majesty of the Andes to the humble wisdom of gauchos and Indigenous communities. These encounters taught me about tradition, dignity, and the sacred tension between ancient roots and modern change.
The artwork from my Argentine years is categorized into three series:
Echoes Between Worlds (두 세계의 메아리 · Du Segye-ui Mae-a-ri),
The Seasons of Pampa (팜파의 사계 · Pampa-ui Sagye), and
Hearts of the Plain (평야의 마음 · Pyeongya-ui Maeum)
These works reflect my deep reverence for nature, legacy, and the stories embedded in forgotten places.
Later, my artistic journey brought me to the United States, where my previous works were recognized by the U.S. government as part of my immigration process. I spent two decades in the garment industry—an unexpected yet enriching chapter where I discovered that art lives in everything we touch and wear. This period also introduced me to digital tools and technologies, helping me evolve as both a designer and a visual storyteller.
Since 2020, I have returned to painting with renewed focus, channeling abstract forms and inner voices rooted in Korean heritage. My recent series—Where the Mountain Whispers (산이 속삭이는 곳 · Sani Soksagineun Got) and Pigment of the Soul (혼의 색 · Hon-ui Saek)—represent this phase. These works explore the Korean traditional five colors (오방색), not as limitations, but as infinite pathways to express emotion, spirit, and identity. I hear my mother’s voice in them. I see the shadow of Inwang Mountain. I feel the leadership of our modern heroes, like sports icons, expressed through color, emotion, and cultural resonance.
Through these bodies of work, I invite you to walk with me—not only across geographies, but across the human soul. May the colors speak, the silence echo, and the spirit connect us beyond language or place.
Pigment of the Soul (혼의 색 · Hon-ui Saek)
“Pigment of the Soul” is a series of portraits painted in Korea’s traditional five-color spectrum (Obangsaek), where each hue carries spiritual and cultural weight. From a self-portrait in inner conflict to global icons like Tupac, Kobe, and LeBron, these works explore how color becomes message — how red holds history, how blue holds sorrow, and how eyes can speak through paint.
Each subject is a mirror of power, struggle, devotion, and transformation. Bound by color yet untethered by realism, the faces carry across cultures — linking the Korean soul to universal longing, belief, and fire. This is not about likeness. It is about what stays behind the eyes when everything else fades.
Where the Mountain Whispers (산이 속삭이는 곳 · Sani Soksagineun Got)
“Where the Mountain Whispers” is a nine-part reflection on the artist’s childhood shaped by the natural and spiritual rhythms of Korea — especially the mystic slopes of Inwangsan. These works are not memories, but emotional echoes: cool naetga streams, wind that carried the presence of mudang, playful brushes with dokkaebi, and the watchful silence of Chima Bawi.
Layered in Obangsaek, the traditional Korean five-color spectrum, each painting becomes a breath of place, spirit, and story. Some whisper joy. Others whisper longing. All of them speak from the space between the seen and the felt, where culture is not performed, but lived — in sunlight, in laughter, in rocks that speak without sound.
Echoes Between Worlds (두 세계의 메아리 · Du Segye-ui Meari)
Created during the artist’s time in Argentina, “Echoes Between Worlds” explores the uneasy dialogue between the modern and the ancestral. In vibrant portraits and symbolic abstraction, blue eyes and powdered faces represent a polished present — confident, outward, and consuming. In contrast, remnants of Incan spirit appear quieted, worn, and solemn — not erased, but subdued.
Rather than frame this as conflict, the artist paints it as a fragile transition, full of questions. What is carried forward? What is lost? These works express a quiet compassion for what fades, and a deep sensitivity to the spiritual imbalance that comes when progress forgets its roots. The result is not a judgment, but a mourning — and a call to listen to the voices beneath the surface.
Hearts of the Plain (평야의 마음 · Pyeongya-ui Maeum)
This series honors the artist’s encounter with the gauchos of Argentina — not as distant icons, but as neighbors, mentors, and reflections of simplicity and strength. Through vivid imagery and layered textures, each piece expresses gratitude for the humility, openness, and earth-bound wisdom that defines life on the Pampa.
The Seasons of Pampa (팜파의 사계 · Pampa-ui Sagye)
A tribute to the quiet, expansive beauty of Argentina’s plains, seen through the eyes of an outsider who learned to feel its rhythm. The changing seasons become symbols of wonder, growth, stillness, and return — a gentle dialogue between the land and the self.
Streaming APP
The Eye That Reached the World
The Story Behind the OMNI Magazine Cover, November 1987
In November 1987, OMNI Magazine—one of the world’s leading science and culture publications—published a special issue titled “When Robots Rule the World”. The cover image: a single eye, open and arresting, filled with depth, curiosity, and silent struggle. That eye was my work—created under my Korean name, Doo-Hyun Moon—and it marked a turning point in my artistic journey.
At the time, I was living in Argentina, seeking spiritual renewal through distance, nature, and self-exploration. Unknown to me, the editorial team at OMNI had selected my illustration to represent the issue’s central themes: the tension between technology and humanity, artificial intelligence and emotional consciousness, control and creativity. They featured my painting without direct contact—their attempts to reach me failed, as I was off the grid, thousands of miles away in South America.
Yet the art spoke for itself.
In the magazine’s poetic editorial description, the cover was introduced with these words:
“Peer through the eyes into the depths of the soul, the source of the spiritual energy abounding within each of us. Enter this fanciful labyrinth and begin a trance-like journey with the gods of imagination.”
The issue was guided by Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Stein, along with Keith Ferrell (Executive Editor) and Dick Teresi (Editor-at-Large). Together, the OMNI team gave the image a stage larger than I had ever imagined. The illustration came to symbolize human insight—searching for truth while confined by inner boundaries. Its placement on the cover became more than a feature; it was a recognition of something deeply shared between artist and audience.
In time, this artwork became internationally known, catching the attention of cultural authorities and curators alike. Years later, it would serve as a pivotal credential in my immigration to the United States—recognized by the U.S. government as the work of an artist of exceptional merit and influence.
Though no words of mine accompanied the image back then, this piece became a milestone. It carried my voice through the silence, through continents, and into the world. It is a symbol not just of what I saw, but of what I felt: a restless vision, a hidden truth, a spirit looking outward and inward at once.
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artworks
Autumn in Inwangsan (인왕산의 가을 · Inwangsan-ui Gaeul)
Width × Height: 40 × 48 in
(101.6 × 121.9 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist
Chima Bawi Sparks (치마바위의 불꽃 · Chima Bawi-ui Bulkkot)
Width × Height: 40 × 48 inches (101.6 × 121.9 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist
Dokkaebi Laughter (도깨비 웃음 · Dokkaebi Useum)
Width × Height: 40 × 40 in (101.6 × 101.6 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist
“The Seeker (구도자 · Gudojah)”
Width × Height: 20 × 24 in (50.8 × 61 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Paper
Signed by Artist
“The Calling (소명의 얼굴 · Somyeong-ui Eolgul)”
Width × Height: 24 × 34 in (61 × 86.4 cm)
Year: 2023
Material: Giclee Print
Signed by Artist
“Voice of Fire (불의 목소리 · Bul-ui Moksori)”
Width × Height: 34 × 44 in (86.4 × 111.8 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Mixed Media on Canvas
Signed by Artist
“Mamba Vision (맘바의 눈 · Mamba-ui Nun)”
Width × Height: 51 × 32 in (129.5 × 81.3 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Mixed Media on Canvas
Signed by Artist
“Crown in Motion (움직이는 왕관 · Umjigineun Wanggwan)”
Width × Height: 48 × 36 in (121.9 × 91.4 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Mixed Media on Canvas
Ships from Los Angeles
Where We Played (우리가 놀던 곳 · Uriga Nolden Got)
Width × Height: 36 × 18 in (91.4 × 45.7 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist
“Root of Light (빛의 뿌리 · Bichui Ppuri)”
Width × Height: 24 × 30 in (61 × 76.2 cm)
Year: 2025
Material: Mixed Media
Signed by Artist
Afternoon at the Edge (오후의 가장자리 · Ohu-ui Gajangjari)
Width × Height: 60 × 20 in (152.4 × 50.8 cm)
Year: 2024
Material: Acrylic on Canvasc
Signed by Artist
“Inwang’s Voice (인왕의 목소리 · Inwang-ui Moksori)”
Width × Height: 40 × 48 in (101.6 × 121.9 cm)
Year: 2022
Material: Mixed Media
Signed by Artist