“Woman in the Bath VI”
For Haejin Yoo, the path to becoming a full-time artist was full of curves. After pursuing a career in the sciences, Yoo followed her heart and took the leap to pursue her passion. And over the past seven years, she has honed her craft. In 2024, her dedication paid off, as she was awarded the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize's RAYMAR Traditional Art Award.
This affirmation that her work was going in the right direction has only bolstered Yoo's confidence. Using acrylics, oils, and other media, Yoo skillfully executes her vision, even down to the frames she creates. Her surreal art is perhaps best embodied by her Woman in a Bath series, where anonymous, flower-covered women are submerged in a tub. Acting as a metaphor for the masks we often wear, and how they slip off in quiet times of reflection, these gorgeous, colorful canvases are deeply personal for the artist.
We had the chance to speak with Yoo about her love for art, her creative process, and the meaning behind this evocative series of paintings. Read on for My Modern Met's exclusive interview.
How did art become a part of your life?
I’ve always felt that being an artist was my path, even before I truly had the chance to pursue it. Art was a passion from a very young age, but life took me in a different direction. At 11, I moved from South Korea to Australia without my family, and during my adolescence, I craved stability. This led me to pursue degrees in Biomedical Science and Molecular Biotechnology, eventually working in chemical regulatory affairs for nearly a decade.
Despite my stable career, I felt unfulfilled, and I started painting part-time at 25. When my husband and I relocated to Europe, I saw an opportunity to finally commit to art full-time. His unwavering belief in me gave me the courage to take the leap, and without his support, I wouldn’t have been able to follow this path.
“Woman in the Bath III” (detail)
“Woman in the Bath III”
“Woman in the Bath III” (detail)
What do you find liberating creatively about working in mixed media?
Each medium has its own strengths—acrylics dry quickly, while oil paints offer more flexibility. My use of mixed media isn’t necessarily about creative liberation but more about necessity. I choose materials based on what best suits each piece.
Right now, I’m focused on oil painting, refining my skills, and pushing my technical abilities further. This transition has allowed me to explore richer textures and deepen my artistic expression. While I still incorporate different materials when needed, my main priority is mastering oils and seeing where this journey takes me.
“Woman in the Bath I”
“Woman in the Bath VIII”
What’s your process for coming up with and creating new work?
Strangely enough, most of my ideas come to me at the end of a workout class, during the cooldown period. It’s a moment when my mind is at ease, and ideas seem to appear like an epiphany. I recently learned that scientific studies support this—physical activity stimulates creativity, so I suppose it’s not just a coincidence.
Once an idea strikes, I jot down notes and create quick sketches. I then search through reference images, combining the ones I’ve collected with my own photography. Using Procreate on my iPad, I refine my final composition before moving on to physically building my canvas and handcrafting the frame. This process ensures each piece is both deeply personal and structurally unique.
“Woman in the Bath X”
“Woman in the Bath VII”
Can you share a bit about the Woman in the Bath series?
The Woman in the Bath series emerged from a deeply personal realization that, until then, I had not been true to myself in my art. After the birth of my daughter, I struggled with postpartum depression while living as an expat in Germany, far from family and friends. My daily baths with my infant daughter became a time of reflection—a space where the masks I wore as a mother, neighbor, and friend melted away. In the bath, I felt vulnerable, pondering my worth and existence.
The melting flowers in the series symbolize the façades we wear—beautiful yet fleeting, like gerberas, which I’ve always associated with superficiality. The thick goo enveloping the figure represents the layers of these façades. As someone on the spectrum, masking has been a constant part of my life, and this series explores the blurred line between our authentic selves and the personas we present to the world.
“Woman in the Bath X” (detail)
“Woman in the Bath IX”
How did you start building your own frames, and what do you enjoy about the process?
Building my own frames wasn’t a planned artistic choice—it was a necessity. Early in my career, I struggled financially, so I stretched my own canvases to cut costs. Later, I decided to frame my paintings with floating frames, but I ran into a frustrating problem: my canvases were often slightly skewed due to inconsistencies in the pre-cut stretcher bars. Even a few millimeters off made a difference, and it drove me crazy.
To solve this, I designed a custom frame using skirting board wood from a hardware store. Instead of wrapping around the canvas, it sat on top, creating a seamless, square structure that I could paint over. Unexpectedly, this approach aligned perfectly with the introspective themes of my Woman in the Bath series. While woodworking isn’t my favorite part of the process, I love how it adds depth and meaning to my work, making each piece truly one of a kind.
“Woman in the Bath VI” (detail)
“Woman in the Bath VI” (detail)
What do you draw inspiration from?
A surprising source of inspiration for my Woman in the Bath series came from a scene in The Afterparty, where a woman sits in a mint-colored bathtub surrounded by matching décor. Something about the color palette and atmosphere resonated with me, and mint tones became a recurring element in my work.
Beyond that, I find inspiration in unexpected places—short-form videos, slime-making clips, and sugar art demonstrations. These seemingly simple, mesmerizing visuals influence the textures and compositions in my paintings. Inspiration isn’t always grand or profound; sometimes, it’s found in the smallest, most ordinary moments.
“Woman in the Bath V”
“Woman in the Bath IV”
What’s next for you?
I’ll be continuing the Woman in the Bath series, which still has so much left to explore. I’m incredibly grateful to have several exhibitions lined up through early 2026, which will keep me busy producing new work.
Additionally, I’ve been studying figurative painting and plan to integrate more complex figures into my future pieces. I’m excited to refine my technique and push the boundaries of my style, exploring new ways to convey identity and introspection.
