Bio

Sammy Koh was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1976, raised in a middle- class family that encouraged her artistic abilities. She demonstrated artistic talent as a child and entered Sun-wha Art High School, where she learned all the techniques she needed to perfect her talent. Attending school for graphic design at Seoul National University in Korea, she kept taking classes of fine arts. She always held a dream to be an artist and worked as an illustrator before immigrating to the US in 2009 with her family. Once they arrived, her focus was on her son and daughter, who were five and three years old at the time.
She has created a community around her in Palo Alto. She began teaching art classes since 2019. Many of her students are also immigrants, and mothers of grown children rediscovering the joy of making art for themselves. When she transitioned the art class to landscapes, there was a rush of positive feedback. In March 2020, as the pandemic cancelled her classes, she started to paint more landscapes.

In addition to teaching others, Sammy contributes to the community that supported her journey as a Korean immigrant woman. In June 2020, She led a workshop on Instagram marketing for her fellow Simple Steps artists.

Her works in acrylic capture natural scenes in photo-like detail. Her art was influenced by her experience living in California, and her work includes the California beach and the skyscapes of the Bay Area. Her paintings reveal her particular fascination in the colors of the Californian atmosphere.

Statement

A bench and sunset are enough to provide me a sanctuary. I try to find moments of beauty in nature by taking pictures. I am intrigued and touched by the sunrise and sunset. They are fleeting, but they can facilitate peace and healing.

My landscape paintings are invitations. I don’t include human figures so that viewers can put themselves in the place they want to be and have a moment to think about their own lives.
My process centers around these main steps. I print my photos out, put them on a wall and gaze at each to recall the emotion they carried. I spend much time editing to create my own image that reflects what I envision.

I wish that people who see my paintings experience the peace and quiet I feel when I paint. I work in the quiet as my family sleeps. What is more important for my artwork is to maximize my feelings and create a piece of art that will stir a sense of peaceful tranquility in the viewer.