Celebrating Harmony Through Heritage

10 Needle Street

From the artist – This artwork is deeply personal, inspired by my daughter, who embodies a beautiful blend of Caucasian and Asian heritage. Through this piece, I aim to explore and celebrate the balance and harmony that arises from embracing diverse cultural identities. Central to the design are two birds—a Blue Heron and a Red-Crowned Crane—each symbolizing the distinct yet complementary cultures that come together to form a unified whole.

My daughter’s mixed heritage serves as the heart of this creation. Growing up at the intersection of two rich cultural backgrounds, she represents the possibility of unity and mutual respect between different traditions and ways of life. The Blue Heron, commonly found in North America, symbolizes self-reliance, resilience, and patience, while the Red-Crowned Crane, revered in East Asian cultures, embodies longevity, grace, and fidelity. Together, they reflect the balance between these cultures and the beauty that emerges when different traditions coexist in harmony.

The artist: Ji Hyang Ryu

Ji Hyang Ryu was born in Busan. She took drawing classes when she was in high school and majored in Natural Science in University. She was in a university Fine Arts Club as an extracurricular activity and held 8 local exhibitions in the city of Busan. After graduation, she found it difficult to find time to paint anymore with her work life as a school teacher in Korea. Korean society, being very competitive, had made painting become a luxury for her. 

The turning point in her life came after she immigrated to Canada, where she met her husband. She now enjoys a peaceful life in Canada.  She was finally able to continue painting, in the year 2010. Her dream to become a professional artist was rekindled after having to set it aside for years due to her busy schedule and losing the means to continue with painting classes during high school as a result of her parent’s small business going bankrupt.

Now she has 3 beautiful children and paints every single day as a professional artist.

She wants to express her country’s beauty on canvas by drawing traditional symbols as well as animals similar to the way old-time painters did in Korea using oil colour, acrylic and ink as well as watercolor. 

Since 2010 she has lived in Riverview, NB. Ji began painting full-time in 2019, teaching drawing and painting at her studio in Riverview. Ji is a member of the Moncton Art Society, Riverview Art Council, Artslink NB and CARFAC Maritimes. Her artwork was purchased by the Town of Riverview and has been displayed in the Moncton City Hall as a part of a juried exhibition. Also, her artwork has been featured on Global News(2020) and CBC Radio-Canada’s website(2021).