DALLAS — As part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a local artist is drawing attention for transforming vivid childhood memories and cultural history into powerful works of art.
Brenda Turner, a Korean American artist based in North Texas, brings her past to life through paintings inspired by personal photographs and formative experiences. Her Deep Ellum home studio is filled with bottles of paint and unfinished canvases—each telling a story rooted in her upbringing in South Korea.
“I am working on this piece that came to me in a dream,” Turner said. The painting, based on a baby photo from her first birthday in 1987, channels the warmth and emotion of her early years. The photo, taken by her mother in Seoul, South Korea, sparked a flood of nostalgia and became the foundation of her current work.
Turner’s art is currently on display at Perspective 6 Art Gallery in Dallas’ Deep Ellum neighborhood, where she is exhibiting three pieces that explore culture, family, and resilience.
One of her featured paintings includes traditional Korean elements, such as doll magnets—a cultural staple—highlighting the nuanced ways in which heritage is preserved through everyday items. Another piece reflects her upbringing on a Korean military base and the social complexities she faced as a biracial child.
“She’s a Korean woman. My father is a Black man, so there were a lot of issues with that in society, especially in the ’80s,” Turner said, recalling the prejudice her family encountered. “When they saw my dad, being a tall, dark-skinned man, I would hear more people referencing him in a derogatory way.”
Her second piece in the gallery captures the personality of her young nephew, while her third work, a linoleum print, commemorates the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Through stark imagery, the print pays tribute to the resilience of the Japanese people in the face of devastating loss.
“The people in the community in Japan still mustered and figured out how to get it together—working to bring life back into their community,” Turner explained.
With more than 20 years of painting experience, Turner continues to use her craft as a means of storytelling and identity expression. Her work challenges societal perceptions and invites viewers into a world shaped by cultural intersectionality.
“Growing up, it was always a question of, ‘What are you? Who are you?’” she said. “I think if you look at my art, I’ll tell you what that is and who I am in that way.”
Turner remains committed to sharing her Korean heritage with the Dallas-Fort Worth community, using her past to inspire future creations.
