"Talisman #2" Painting

**2nd Prize Winner in the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, RAYMAR Traditional Art Award** Haejin Yoo is a self-taught oil, acrylic, mixed media artist and sculptor, born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Australia, whose surrealistic expressionist art evokes emotions from the past and present. She integrates mixed media, including oils, acrylics, textiles, carpentry, and sculpture to push beyond the limits of traditional canvas art and bring depth to her works. As an artist on the autism spectrum, Haejin’s unique perspective allows her to explore themes of identity, emotion, and introspection - concepts at the heart of her Woman in the Bath series. This body of work reflects on the vulnerability of private thoughts and the fluid nature of persona, offering intimate moments of self-reflection and connection. Her autism not only shapes her creative process but also informs the deeply personal and universal qualities in her work. Haejin discovered her passion for art at a young age, but it was suppressed until her late twenties when she transitioned from a career in the sciences. The analytical skills she developed in her scientific background now enrich her understanding of artistic mediums, including oils and acrylics. After nearly eight years in Germany, where she exhibited extensively across Europe, Haejin has returned to Sydney, Australia. Haejin's achievements include 2nd Prize in the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize: RAYMAR Traditional Art Award, recognition as one of Saatchi Art’s Rising Stars for 2024, selection as one of the HUG100 Artists to Watch in 2024, and a Finalist position in the Boynes Artist Award 10th Edition (2024). She also won the Merit Prize Award at Teravarna's International Juried Art Competition (2023), the Artist Expert Award (2022) presented by Prof. Vittorio Sgarbi, and First Prize Abstract Award at FIRA International Art Fair Barcelona (2022). Notably, Woman in the Bath III was chosen as the featured artwork for The Other Art Fair London 2024, appearing across exhibition collateral and on a 3-metre banner in the heart of the city. Her work is often displayed at Modern Eden Gallery and Corey Helford Gallery in California, with upcoming exhibitions across the United States, Australia, and New Zealand throughout 2026 and 2027. ARTIST STATEMENT I'm Haejin Yoo, a self-taught oil, acrylic, mixed media artist and sculptor, exploring surrealism and symbolism in today's world.