Heajung Czapla

My name is Heajung Czapla (hey-jeong-zap-la). This is how to say my name.

I was born and raised in South Korea. I was nerdy in school, but I was a happy child. I have always leaned towards art whenever I had career choices, but the fear of being an artist overwhelmed me. I chose a completely different career path and I had forgotten about my real passion for a while.

I have been having dreams that are unforgettably vivid and visceral since 2015. I would say these dreams are strangely odd, but they make me feel fulfilled for some reason. After a trip to Croatia, I signed up for a painting class to paint these dreams. This is how I started painting.

After the trip, my husband and I sold our possessions. We packed everything in carry-on bags to travel the world. Most of my paintings are inspired by travel memories, but I love to paint whatever tells me a story.