I draw the dreams of my memories

Marcel Proust, in In Search of Lost Time, suggests that art evokes nostalgia, heals wounded hearts, and offers solace.

I draw the dreams of my memories. Marcell Proust in “In Search of Lost Time” states that art is a sense of solace and healing to those who are in need of comfort. During the many years I spent abroad, time and again, I found comfort in the faint memories of my childhood. In these times, I uncovered dreams from my youth that I had buried away, and carefully pictured the scenery of my childhood — the flowers, the insects, the little hills. My works reflect a re-interpretation of my childhood dreams and memories, and the objects in my works depict an alternative reality of distorted, surreal shapes and colors.

Sarah Baek is a Korean-born artist based in San Diego, working across various medium, including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. As a first-generation immigrant, she has found solace in the memories of her childhood, which have helped her navigate the chaos and challenges of her journey. Her creative process involves reinterpreting those memories through dreams, with objects in her artwork depicted in distorted, surreal forms and colors, exploring a world that bridges reality and imagination. Sarah Baek holds an MFA from Hongik University and a BFA from Hyosung Women’s University. Her work has been exhibited in Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, receiving multiple awards in art competitions across various countries. Her artwork has also been featured on the cover of a print publication.

Education
  • Hongik University, MFA, Seoul, Korea
  • Hyosung Women’s University, BFA, Korea
Solo Exhibition
  • 2026 – Solana Beach City Hall Gallery, Solana Beach, CA, USA
  • 2026 – Encinitas 101 Main Street Association, Encinitas, CA, USA
  • 2025 – Kim Jung-Suk Gallery, Invitation Solo Exhibition, Incheon, Korea
  • 2025 – Gallery GB, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – SukAm Museum of Art, Daegu, Korea
  • 2022 – Present: A Gift For Today, Allied Gardens / Benjamin Branch Library, San Diego, CA, USA
  • 2022 – Ode to Tomorrow, EXIT Gallery, Daejeon, Korea
Selected Group Exhibition
  • 2026 – NAWA 137th Annual Exhibition, The Leonovich Gallery, New York, USA
  • 2025 – K-Atelier 창립전, Cheongju, Korea
  • 2025 – NAWA Members Exhibition, New York, USA
  • 2025 – COASTAL REFLECTIONS, MALIBU CITY Gallery, Malibu, USA (Open Call)
  • 2025 – Six Layers, Cosmos Gallery, NY, USA
  • 2025 – Permeating In San Diego 2025, Escondido Arts Partnership, Escondido, USA
  • 2024 – CONSILIENCE, Whittier Art Gallery, Whittier, USA
  • 2024 – Radiant Birth, Gallery iNsart, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – HONGiK, Hongik Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – Ken Award-Winning Works Exhibition, The Grand Department Store Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – Finding Your Senses, Front Porch Gallery, USA (Open Call)
  • 2024 – The Johyeong 24, Hongik Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – Hongik Alumni Exhibition, InsaArtPlaza, Seoul, Korea
  • 2024 – 28th Korea Daegu Gyeongbuk Art Exhibition, Daegu, Korea
  • 2024 – International Art Show, Whittier Gallery, USA
  • 2024 – KEN (91st), Yokohama Civic Art Gallery, Japan
  • 2024 – Inner World, Boomer Gallery, London, UK (Open Call)
  • 2024 – 2nd Nature International Juried Art Competition, TERA VARNA Fine Art Gallery, USA (Open Call)
  • 2023 – O.K.A.A Invitation Art Show, Whittier Gallery, USA
  • 2017 – HWA, Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library Gallery, San Diego, USA
  • 2014 – Art Forever, U Gallery, San Diego, USA
  • 1994 – National University Art Competition Winner’s Exhibition, Seoul, Korea
  • 1993 – Daegu Industrial Design Competition Winner’s Exhibition, Korea
Publications & Media
  • 2025 – KUSI News, Featured Artist Interview, Korean Culture Expressed through Art in San Diego, USA
  • 2024 – Ponder Review Vol. 8-1, Mississippi University for Women Press, USA (Cover and pp. 51, 75)
  • 1995 – ’95 Creative-World Diploma Works of Design & Craft, Design House, Korea (p. 52)
Awards
  • 2024 – 91st Ken Exhibition, Honorable Mention, Yokohama Civic Art Gallery, Japan
  • 2024 – 28th Korea Daegu Gyeongbuk Art Exhibition, 2nd Place, Western Painting Category, Korea
  • 2024 – 2nd Nature International Juried Art Competition, Finalist, USA
  • 1994 – National University Juried Art Competition, Special Prize, Korea
  • 1991–1994 – Multiple Awards in National Juried Design Competitions, Korea and Japan
Residencies / Programs
  • 2026 – GlogauAIR Online Residency, Berlin, Germany
Professional Roles & Memberships
  • NAWA Peer Juror, National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), New York, USA
  • Director, Art Division, House of Korea, Balboa Park, San Diego, USA
  • Signature Member, National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), New York, USA
Collections Collected by private collectors in the United States, Korea, and internationally.

© 2025 Copyright Sarah Baek. All rights reserved. sarahbaekart@gmail.com