International Community Feature: MiJung Yun
Friday, October, 17th, 2025 News and Updates Student Spotlight
For this month’s International Community Feature, we are thrilled to spotlight MiJung Yun, a 2025 SMFA MFA graduate in studio art at Tufts University.
A native of Busan, South Korea where her father taught volcanology at Pusan National University and her mother taught at a private music academy, MiJung first came to the U.S. to attend Arizona State University. There she earned a B.A. in Education and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction Education. At first, drawing and making art was only a hobby but MiJung began to realize as she pursued her studies in education that she wanted to teach something she truly loved. So, she went on to pursue an A.A. in Fine Arts from Mesa Community College in Arizona and then came to Massachusetts when she was accepted into the SMFA. She recalls visiting campus for the first time and getting a very strong feeling of belonging – the hills on both the Medford and Mission Hill campuses reminded her fondly of those at past schools she attended. MiJung also recognized the substantial quality of the offerings at SMFA and could clearly envision how she’d be able to grow as an artist there. Once she joined the Tufts community, she began to have a deeper understanding of the meaning of that word and to this day remains extremely grateful for being given the opportunity to be a part of it.
MiJung works in a variety of media, including graphite, charcoal, pen and ink on paper, and acrylic and oil paint on canvas. Recent subjects focus on natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions (inspired by and serving as a tribute to her recently retired father’s profession), earthquakes, and ocean waves. She describes her art as exploring the structure of imagery through small, linear marks which up close may evoke feelings of dizziness, confusion, and unease but when the viewer pulls away, they unify and create a feeling of comfort, order, and calm. As she states on her website, “I take great pleasure in leaving all mark-making visible, allowing viewers to witness the entire creative process. To fully grasp the intricate details of my drawings, they must be seen in person. The density of lines resists the eye of the camera – much like the way we encounter the subtleties of nature.” Having personally experienced her work at this past spring’s SMFA thesis exhibition Through Shifting Lenses, I can attest to the breath-taking level of detail and powerful imagery conveyed in her pieces!
Upon graduating from the SMFA this past summer, MiJung received a one-year teaching fellowship which is allowing her to enrich her own visual art practice and share it with her students which she hopes will in turn enhance their learning and inspire them to find their own creative voice. She’s teaching an undergraduate Intro to Painting course this fall at the SMFA and is also working in the Mission Hill Flex Farm which grows produce for the community and is home to a dye garden, being piloted by SMFA faculty member Leslie Rogers. Kenson Truong, SMFA Associate Director of Graduate Programs, explained more about this project: “the objective is to create a more sustainable source of natural dyes at the museum school. The flowers might be used in papermaking, creating pigments, in fibers, and some are even edible.”
Reflecting upon her time in Boston, MiJung surprisingly cites the weather and the public transportation as two of her favorite things about living here! She appreciates that the weather feels similar to Korea which also has four seasons. When it rains and snows, she makes a point of going outside and watching it in real time – bad weather often signals that the seasons are changing and this is something she rejoices in. The MBTA and Tufts shuttle feel like safe transportation options that help connect the campuses in an important way. She also appreciates Boston’s proximity to New York City with its wealth of galleries and museums.
She does miss Korea where her parents still live but she calls home every day and finds comfort in that routine. Beyond her skills in drawing and gardening, MiJung plays piano, guitar, violin, flute and enjoys many different genres of music – she often listens to classical violinist Ray Chen while she works. And Korean cooking helps fill her home with the familiar smells of childhood.
MiJung was recently featured in Tufts Now as one of ten 2025 SMFA at Tufts Traveling Fellows — she will visit Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii and continue her exploration of volcanic eruptions as a source of inspiration. She also currently has work on display in several shows and publications. And please explore her website and Instagram below!
2025 National Prize Show, University Place Gallery, Cambridge Art Association (CAA), Cambridge, MA
OCTOBER 30 – DECEMBER 13, 2025
2025-2026 The Small Works Project, Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
Quinobequin Review, Stories from Greater Boston “Desire Lines,” Fall ‘25/ Winter ’25
https://now.tufts.edu/2025/10/14/smfa-tufts-announces-2025-traveling-fellows
–by Julia Keith
(photo courtesy of MiJung Yun)