Of tides and textures: Guam Museum hosts ‘Of Threads and Colors’

By Ron Rocky Coloma

When Yeon Sook Park speaks about her new exhibition, her words carry the same deliberate care as her brushstrokes. She describes “Of Threads and Colors” as a meditation on connection and transformation, a visual language shaped by the textures of memory and the hues of emotion.

“‘Of Threads and Colors’ is deeply meaningful to me,” Park said. “The ‘threads’ represent connection between memories, people and places. The ‘colors’ represent emotion and transformation. This title helped guide me to create work that feels honest and full of life’s quiet beauty.”

The duo exhibition, presented alongside artist Rubyjane Buhain-Redila, opened at 5 p.m. on Aug. 16, in the Guam Museum Café Gallery. Supported by the Guam Museum Foundation and the FlameTree Freedom Center, the show remained on view through Sept. 23.

Park’s work is rooted in personal experience. She recalls one piece in particular, “Reflections of the Tide,” as emblematic of her creative approach. “It captures a feeling I’ve carried for years of being near water, of watching how life moves slowly but surely and how memory floats in and out like a tide,” she said.

Her materials are more than a means to an end. “For me, threads and colors are both tools and symbols,” Park said. “I use them to stitch together stories that words can’t always hold. They help me express a kind of softness and strength that comes from living close to nature and holding many layers of identity.”

The choice to debut the collaboration in Guam is intentional. Park calls the island home, and she credits its environment and people with shaping her vision. “Guam is my home. Its natural beauty, community spirit and deep culture inspire everything I create. Showing my work here means sharing a part of myself with the place that shaped me,” she said.

Working with Buhain-Redila, Park found a process built on mutual respect.

“Our collaboration allowed us to honor both our differences and shared values,” she said. “We supported each other’s creative process and wove our stories together with respect and care.”

Her preparation for the show was grounded in quiet ritual. “I usually begin with memories or emotions that rise inside me, and then I let the color and texture flow. Sometimes I sketch, sometimes I move directly onto canvas. It depends on how I feel that day,” Park said.

Vulnerability, she admits, is unavoidable. “It’s not always easy to show personal stories, but I believe courage comes from sharing even the quietest emotions. Some pieces made me hesitate at first, but I knew they needed to be seen.”

The institutional support has mattered, too. “The support from the Guam Museum Foundation and FLAMETREE Freedom Center gave me strength and encouragement,” Park said. “Their belief in our vision allowed this collaboration to grow into something real and beautiful.”

For Park, the act of creating is inseparable from healing. “I see my art as a healing process—not only for myself, but hopefully for others too,” she said.

“My paintings reflect softness, resilience and a quiet kind of hope that I think

many people can connect to.”

Her wish for visitors is simple but pointed. “I hope this exhibit sparks a gentle reflection in people,” she said. “I hope they see beauty in difference, strength in softness and feel reminded of their own quiet truths.”

Subscribe to

our digital

monthly edition