Artist from South Korea details her upbringing, culture at Dallas art gallery

CBS News

24-05-2025

EDITOR'S NOTE: CBS News Texas is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May by highlighting a North Texas woman who shares childhood memories of growing up in South Korea through her art.
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Brenda Turner's living room is filled with bottles of paint, coming together to create a vision that began in a dream.
"I am working on this piece that came to me in a dream," Turner said. "It's very nostalgic because the memories start flooding back in."
Turning memories into art
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The artist recreates her childhood memories through a series of old pictures brought to life on canvas.
"The exact piece I'm working on right here is a baby picture of me on my first birthday, and I'm looking crazy and cranky," Turner said.
The photograph, taken by Turner's mother in 1987, served as inspiration for her latest work.
"My mom was born in Seoul," Turner said.
Turner's journey is on display at Perspective 6 Art Gallery in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood, where she showcases three pieces.
Exploring culture and family dynamics
One of Turner's works highlights an aspect of Korean culture.
"The little dolls are actually little magnets. That's popular in Korean culture," she said.
Another piece captures her experience growing up on a Korean military base and the complexities of her family background.
"She's a Korean woman. My father is a Black man, so there were a lot of issues with that in society, especially in the '80s," Turner said.
She recalls hearing derogatory comments about her father as a child.
"When they saw my dad, being a tall, dark-skinned man, I would hear more people referencing him in a derogatory way," Turner said.
Art inspired by history and resilience
Turner's second piece captures the essence of her nephew, while the third reflects a tragic event in Asian history.
"This is the linoleum print that I did in regard to the tsunami that triggered the earthquake in Japan in 2011," Turner said.
The artwork represents resilience and strength.
"The people in the community in Japan still mustered and figured out how to get it together—working to bring life back into their community," she said.
A lifelong passion for storytelling through art
For more than two decades, Turner has shared her Asian heritage through painting and has no plans of stopping.
"Growing up, it was always a question of, 'What are you? Who are you?'" Turner said. "I think if you look at my art, I'll tell you what that is and who I am in that way."
The artist hopes to bring her Asian heritage to the people of Dallas-Fort Worth, using her history to shape the future of her work.