Where Life Meets Art

Over the Hill I Over the Hill II Over the Hill III Over the Hill Series (I–III) The “Over the Hill I–III” series is created with hand-dyed fabrics and mixed media, developed through a slow, layered process of coloring, washing, cutting, and composing textiles. Each piece captures the feeling of climbing a windy hill — pushing forward with effort, then pausing at the peak where a quiet sense of emptiness meets clarity. This work reflects on the human journey: the ascent, the labor, the moments of reflection, and the recognition that much of what we hold onto is temporary. The transparent layers and muted tones visualize the tension between weight and impermanence, suggesting that meaning often reveals itself at the edges of stillness and loss. Through this series, I invite viewers to consider their own passages — the hills they have climbed, the efforts m...

Featured on the cover of Ordinary Misfortunes by Emily Jungmin Yoon https://www.tupelopress.org/product/ordinary-misfortunes-emily-jungmin-yoon/ Cover artwork for Ordinary Misfortunes (Tupelo Press) © Jaclyn Bae 2025 Comfort Women | Hemp Hanbok Series The work “Comfort Women” is created using hemp , a traditional Korean fiber often used for ceremonial or ritual garments. Hemp is coarse and weighty—its physical presence carries a sense of solemnity and remembrance that felt essential to this work. This piece responds to the histories of young women who experienced profound hardship during the Pacific War era. While the details of that time are deeply painful, my intention is not to portray the violence itself, but to reflect on resilience, dignity, and the lasting imprint of memory . I burned, cut, stitched, and distressed the he...

Blessing II – Fragments of Grace Paper Installation by Jaclyn Bae · Prairie Center Gallery, 2018 Everyone holds a different understanding of what a blessing means. For some, it is abundance — of love, health, or fortune. For others, it is peace that rests quietly within the soul. In Blessing I , I expressed blessings as light descending gently from above — an offering of divine grace pouring into the world. But with Blessing II , I reimagined blessings not as a single flowing beam, but as countless fragments scattered like small miracles across humanity. Each folded piece represents a portion of grace — a reminder that every person receives their own measure of blessing, different in form yet equal in meaning. Gathered together, these fragments become a collective prayer: a quiet offering of gratitude and a reflection on the many ways light enters our li...