My mother, Poong Ja Kim was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. Her birth date was July 20th, 1940. She grew up in the midst of the Korean War. My aunt would tell us stories of running through the streets with the sounds of bombs and gunfire behind them. I can only imagine what a difficult time that must have been, fearing for your life on a daily basis.
My grandfather was a doctor of acupuncture. I recall a picture of him, sitting behind his desk, books lined up behind him. A recurrent theme of formality and elitism appeared in this and other pictures. He was always wore a suit further reinforcing this coldness. I was told that my grandfather was a well respected and admired intellectual in Korea. He also “kept” more than one woman, a fact that my mother resented.
My mother had many siblings and half siblings but seemed to have been afforded every opportunity to pursue her studies. She was apparently very gifted and went to the Cheung- Yee School, a very prestigious school limited to the top 3% of students. She then went to the National University of Seoul for 2 years and then transferred to University Heung Ik, an art school in Seoul.
My mother had many art showings and likely soaked up the art and intellectual scene of Seoul. Her paintings tended to be abstract with oil being her primary medium.
I often wonder what her life would have been like if she had stayed in Seoul…….having her own gallery…..basking in the praise of critics…………… free to pursue her dreams……………..
Childhood lost 