Joon-Hee spent many happy hours as a child in the studio of her father, Hyun-Kyu Park, a renowed surrealist painter with work in major Korean national galleries and collections.

Life changed dramatically after her father died and the 14-year-old Joon-Hee emigrated to New Zealand with the rest of her family. She went on to complete a BFA and an MFA (Hons) at Elam, graduating in 2003. She won a Merit Award at the 2005 Waiheke Art Awards (Judged by Alan Smith) and was a finalist in the 2006 National Portrait Award.

Day Dream continues Joon-Hee’s sometimes dark exploration of a personal narrative style, building a storyline based on the treasured mementoes given to her by her father. She describes the works as an antidote to busy, complicated and technology-driven lives.

“I feel like this is a step into the sunlight after a darker period,” she explains.

“Why make pictures about reality when you can make anything happen in your canvas?”