THE THIRD CHAPTER : INTERVIEW WITH ChanMi Jung Pyles (ENGLISH VER.)
In this conversation, ChanMi Jung Pyles reflects on a practice shaped by transformation, introspection, and an interest in the beauty of imperfection. Through richly layered abstract paintings, including her Spacious collection and Imperfect Splendor series, she works with texture, color, and accumulated layers to create compositions that evoke a sense of openness and invite viewers to engage with what lies beneath the surface.
In this chapter of The Core Message, we explore the ideas that inform her approach to painting and the questions that emerge throughout her creative process. From allowing a work to develop without knowing its final form to recognizing meaning in unexpected places, she reflects on the importance of remaining open to discovery. Her practice offers a perspective on how we navigate the unfinished nature of our own lives, finding room for growth and new possibilities along the way.
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Q. Thank you for joining us. To begin our conversation, we are curious to know how you define your identity as an artist at this moment and what central theme most occupies your thoughts.
A. Thank you for having me on this interview series. I truly enjoyed working with u1 Gallery, and it is a joy to return and continue our conversation as I grow as an artist.
Currently, I view myself as a contemporary contemplative artist, creating contemporary pieces that invite viewers to enter into the space and contemplate what is "unseen." Lately, I have been reflecting on the spaciousness of the soul and our whole being, our becoming through an imperfect journey, and discovering deeper freedom and joy as we take steps of faith in the midst of a myriad of unknowns.
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| ChanMi Jung Pyles |
Q. This chapter is titled "The Core Message." If you were to describe the "anchor" or the most fundamental intention that holds your practice together, what would it be?
A. If I were to describe the anchor that holds my practice together, it would be this: to reveal the beauty of God's redemptive love—that He is making all things new, even in the midst of our imperfect and unfinished journeys.
Through each painting, I hope to create a space where viewers can pause, breathe, and encounter the truth that they are deeply seen, known, and loved by God. My work reflects the journey of becoming and discovering—how God takes what feels hidden, broken, uncertain, or incomplete and transforms it into something beautiful in His hands.
Ultimately, my intention is not simply to create something visually beautiful, but to invite people into a deeper awareness of the hope, freedom, and spacious love found in the Triune God. I believe every layer carries a story, and every story is held within the greater story of God's renewing work: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Q. Is there a specific piece among your works that you feel most clearly embodies this "core message"? We would love to hear the story behind that work and why it holds such a special place in your heart.
A. I recently released a deeply personal and meaningful collection called Spacious. It holds a special place in my heart because it reflects the spacious journey that God has taken me on in recent years, inspired by Psalm 18:19: "He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me."
For many years, I thought God was perhaps a hard-to-please, constricting, demanding being, as many people do. But I have come to discover that God's love is unconditional and so vast. In His love, we can actually find space to breathe, dream, rest, and simply be.
This spacious love of God not only saves us from our own striving and the power of darkness, but it also delights in who we are. We are truly set free in His spacious love, where we can rest and abide in His delight. I believe this is the heart of God for everyone, and my hope is that the Spacious Collection invites viewers to encounter and experience that Divine Spacious Love for themselves.
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Spacious 2026 Acrylic 24x36 in |
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| Spacious |
Q. Sometimes, the most important messages are felt rather than seen. Is there a "whisper" or a subtle atmosphere in your work that you hope the audience will sense, even if it’s hard to put into words?
A. I hope the audience will sense the breath of the Spacious Divine Love that my work seeks to convey. It isn't just about what you see on the surface of the painting. As you behold the works in the Spacious Collection, I hope you will sense the depth of God's steadfast love—a breathable, airy spaciousness in which one feels seen, delighted in, and deeply treasured.
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| To Be, Just Be |
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| To Be, Just Be |
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| To Be, Just Be 2026 Acrylic 12x36 in |
Q. Artists often find themselves returning to a certain inquiry. What is the persistent question you find yourself asking through your art, regardless of how your style may change?
A. For me, each painting is a journey, and it reflects a unique story within each of us. I don't create with the complete final result in mind, though I usually have a general vision. Instead, I come open-handed. As I interact with the canvas and paint, laying down many hidden layers, I ask God to reveal something in the process that I have not yet discovered or understood.
The grounding theme—and the title of my major body of work—Imperfect Splendor is what I continually return to. I often ask, "God, what is the beauty, the imperfect splendor, You are building in this messy, unknown process?" "Where can I witness beauty emerging when things seem uncertain, hidden, messy, blemished, and undefined?"
With each painting, a new aspect is revealed—a new story from our own imperfectly beautiful journey in the hands of the Master Artist.
Q. In an era of rapidly changing trends, how do you maintain your own pace and stay focused on the voice that matters most to you?
A. Before I begin to lay down the first, second, or even the hundredth layer, I pause, take a deep breath, and become aware of the steadfast, loving presence of God, who is always with me. The voice that matters most to me is the Divine voice of the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
When I become aware of His presence, I can breathe deeply and spaciously, creating out of my identity as His beloved rather than out of striving or perfectionism. I can tune out all the worldly noise and tune in to the one voice of the Lord that matters most.
One of the Bible verses I continually return to throughout my art journey is Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Because He is the One who began this good work, I am confident that He will carry it on to completion for His glory and for His delight.
Q. During the creative process, is there a specific moment or a sensation of "rightness" that tells you a piece has successfully captured your intended message?
A. I am so glad you asked this question. I think it is when I can breathe ever so deeply and smile. It is not a precise end moment or predetermined goal that I have in mind from the beginning. Rather, it is usually when I can step back, gaze at the painting, and breathe deeply with my whole being. Words cannot quite capture this feeling. It is a quiet mixture of gratitude, surrender, peace, and deep joy. In those moments, I simply know the painting has become what it was meant to be.
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Let the Wind Blow 2026 Acrylic with genuine gold leaf 36x48 in |
Q. Beyond the final result, what part of the "act of creating" itself do you find most precious or aligned with your personal values?
A. I think there are several moments, actually. I love gazing at the empty canvas before I begin adding layers. It is a sacred, wondrous moment of anticipation—"Here I am; take me where You want me to be." There are abundant possibilities in those moments. I am often reminded that we are not meant to put God in a box. As I begin, I often reflect on Isaiah 43:19: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” It reminds me that God is always at work, making all things new, and I get to join in that renewing work.
I also love the moment when I give each painting its title and add my signature. It is an act of giving a name—of recognizing and defining the unique story that has emerged. I often find myself wondering how each painting, with its particular title, will meet people in different seasons, places, and circumstances.
And I love the final stage of varnishing. I usually use a gloss varnish because I love how it brings out the light within each piece in a whole new way. It feels like clothing the painting in light so that it can shine as it was created to—reflecting the Light of Christ.
Q. Looking back, was there a specific experience that shifted your focus from purely aesthetic concerns to a deeper message within your work?
A. I think it was when I began painting abstract art around 2021. Up until then, I created mostly representational work—though often with an impressionistic style—including landscapes, botanicals, animals, and other subjects. I painted these works because I found God's creation profoundly beautiful.
While I still absolutely marvel at and love God's creation in nature, abstract art has given me a new language to reflect on the harder places of life while discovering how God brings beauty out of ashes. My heavily layered, textured, and imperfect paintings invite viewers to pause, reflect, wonder, grieve, rejoice, and ultimately discover hope and light.
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Heaven-breathed Freedom 2026 Acrylic 16 diameter |
Q. As your practice has evolved, how has your core message shifted or become more defined over time?
A. I believe my core message has become more defined over time as my art has deepened. If I dare to put it simply, we are God's imperfect splendor—those for whom Christ came, died, and rose again.
He has brought us into His spacious love so that we may find our true home in Him, commune with Him, become all that He created us to be, flourish, shine His light, and walk with Him into eternity.
Yes, there are—and always will be—ups and downs in this life. On this side of heaven, joy and sorrow will always coexist. But throughout our journey, we can always find hope as He faithfully guides us into His Light. I believe my art seeks to convey that hope in every painting and in every layer.
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I Am Making a Way 2025 Acrylic with genuine gold leaf 16x20 in (Diptych) |
Q. What kind of internal conversation do you hope a viewer has with themselves when they spend time with your work? What is the "echo" you hope stays with them?
A. That there is hope. That nothing is wasted. That they are seen, heard, and deeply loved. That they are not alone. That there is so much hope, joy, and life waiting to be discovered in the Triune Love, again and again.
Q. Thank you so much for sharing such thoughtful insights with us today. As we conclude our conversation, is there a final thought or a quiet sincerity you would like to share with those who will encounter your work?
A. May you never lose hope. There is a Divine Love of God that pursues you with His everlasting love. If you are encountering my work, perhaps it is an invitation into a relationship with the God who has created you, known you, seen you, and loved you even before you ever heard of Him.
He is saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
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| ChanMi Jung Pyles |
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