Yeonsu Ju’s oil paintings explore the intersections of love, memory, grief, and the desire to remain connected to those who are no longer present. Born in South Korea in 1995 and now based in Seoul, Ju draws inspiration from personal experiences of loss and the Korean ancestral memorial ritual known as Gijesa, in which food offerings honor deceased family members. After studying sociology at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Ju began painting in 2017 while on an exchange program in Milan, discovering that painting could communicate emotions that spoken and written language could not fully express. She later studied painting and printmaking at the Glasgow School of Art before completing an MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Through expressive figures, vivid colors, and surreal dining scenes, Ju transforms intimate experiences into imaginative spaces where love and loss coexist.

“Within my paintings emotion is edible.”

Working between Seoul and an international exhibition circuit, Ju builds her paintings through an intuitive process that begins with emotional impulses and gradually develops into figures, gestures, and carefully constructed compositions. Working primarily in oil on linen, she layers energetic brushwork, saturated colors, and abstract lines around figures that appear to emerge from or dissolve into their surroundings. Unpainted areas of the linen become meaningful openings, allowing figures to appear and disappear rather than remain fixed within the composition. Her paintings frequently depict imagined gatherings around dining tables, where food becomes a metaphor for desire, intimacy, and the exchange of emotions. These scenes draw on the structure of Gijesa, reimagining ancestral remembrance as a deeply personal ritual of connection.

For Ju, painting is not simply a way to represent memories but a means of sustaining relationships through transformation, allowing the past to remain active in the sensations and experiences of the present.

In Whisper (2023), Ju presents a seated figure against a deep blue background, its pink and red garments animated by looping lines and expressive marks. Executed in oil on linen, the painting balances a recognizable human presence with a more fluid, emotionally charged visual language. The surrounding gestures and contrasting colors suggest movement and psychological intensity, allowing the figure to feel simultaneously grounded and in flux. Rather than presenting identity or emotion as something fixed, Ju’s approach leaves room for ambiguity, inviting viewers to consider the feelings and memories that remain unspoken. The work reflects her broader interest in painting as an alternative language, one capable of expressing the complexities of intimacy, longing, and human connection.

Ju continues to expand her exploration of memory, embodiment, and the relationships that persist beyond physical presence. Her recent work incorporates geometric structures, including circles, lines, vectors, and divided planes, creating visual terrains through which figures and memories intersect. In 2026, her solo exhibitions included land on me softly at GAAT x HdM Gallery in Lisbon and Pls, Don’t watch me dancing at The Cabin LA in Los Angeles. Her ongoing international exhibitions and residencies reflect a practice that continues to evolve while remaining rooted in the emotional possibilities of painting.

Instagram — @yeonsuju

https://yeonsuju.com/