Self-portrait (Goodbye), 91.5 x 119cm (36 x 47"), mixed media, 2016

BIOGRAPHY

Jieun Beth (b. 1987, Texas) is a multidisciplinary visual artist, educator, curator, and entrepreneur based in Austin, TX. Her work is shaped by a blend of Eastern and Western cultural influences, which have deeply informed her exploration of identity, connection, and creative expression.

With over two decades of inquiry across various disciplines, Jieun Beth embraces a multidimensional view of identity, seeking to inspire harmony in her roles as a teacher and community leader. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (BFA, Painting) and the University of Texas at Austin (MFA, Studio Art, minor in Art History), her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including a solo exhibition at the Austin Central Library (2023) and participation in an art fair in Seoul, South Korea (2024). Her works are part of Austin SOHO House and Portland SOHO House’s permanent collection, and her works are collected by private collectors throughout the nation. Her recent animation collaboration in Sweet Potato Pig directed by Christine Hoang will be showcased early 2027. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

I vividly recall sitting on a bus in Gyeongju, South Korea, waiting for a middle school field trip destination. As my classmates’ noise faded, I caught my reflection in the window and thought, “Who is this Asian girl?” In that moment, I observed my own features, body, and personality as if from a distance. That quiet existential rupture became the origin of my lifelong inquiry into selfhood. I’ve long sought to understand how individuals connect to the world. Through my art, I see how interconnected one’s internal and external worlds are, and I come to find myself.
 

For over two decades, I’ve created multidisciplinary works fully immersed in media and subject exploration, an intuitive process shaped by research in science, philosophy, and ancient wisdom traversing the Eastern and Western perspectives. I make symbolic imagery that functions as altars, structural foundations that ground the imaginary and the tangible. Whether the work turns playful, grave, or meticulous, I follow it until the complexities of being unravel. I’m currently focused on painting and authenticity as the core of identity. Through my creative practice, I embrace joy, ease, freedom, and my own individuality in a world so much larger than I am.