Artist based in Manhattan, NY
Portrait of the artist
Tell us about yourself, what's your background?
My name is Becky Moon. I am a painter based in New York City, originally from Seoul, South Korea. I knew pretty early on. Growing up, I made art whenever I had the time. Art gave me relief, courage, and joy. By the time I went to high school, I had taken a detour and wanted to work in human rights. I wrote a petition on women’s rights in South Korea, which garnered 60,000 signatures, but eventually came back after realizing that soft powers like art can have a profound impact on someone’s mind as much as hard powers like laws.
The dream of the wood, 2026, Acrylics on canvas, 38x66 inches
“Biodiversity has been a key theme in my work . . . Every creature - rotifer, euglena, heliozoa, paramecium… has its own unique evolutionary strategy to make it to where they are now, and I found so much beauty and wonder in this.”
Left: Origin of plants, 2026, Acrylics on canvas, 30x24 inches. Right: Drosophila encountering a parasitoid wasp, 2026, Acrylics on canvas, 28x22 inches
What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?
I am currently working on a series of paintings inspired by the story of Noah’s Ark. I have been making lots of drawings of extinct and living animals, from Tiktaalik to polar bear, to put on my version of the ark.
Biodiversity has been a key theme in my work. I got immersed in biology-related topics by working as a museum education associate at the MIT Museum, a hub for STEAM education and science-inspired art. One key experience was running a microscopy session and observing microorganisms that live in a single drop of pond water. Every creature - rotifer, euglena, heliozoa, paramecium… had its own unique evolutionary strategy to make it to where they are now, and I found so much beauty and wonder in this.
A city on the moon, 2025, Acrylics on canvas, 16x20 inches
Now I’m working on a broader theme of biodiversity for all kinds of animals. I paint a world without human influence where natural history exists as a snapshot, with the past and the present intertwined. By doing so, I hope to remind us that we can learn from nature’s systems.
Left: Ganglia, 2025, Acrylics on canvas, 52x44 inches. Right: Tiktaalik, 2026, Acrylics on canvas, 50x36 inches
Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology, how does it occur within your practice?
I totally agree! I go on walks and look at ants. I see them carrying things, building paths, collecting items, going to destinations, and warding off harm. They are so diligent that it’s inspiring. I also go to the biology sections of libraries and look at the pictures and illustrations there.
Left: Inspiration - Observing Spinoza the snail. Right: Closeup/Process of Gastropods when they came out of water
Where do ideas start for you?
My ideas definitely start from the world through direct observation and research. Some theories, facts, or stories stand out to me so much that I feel compelled to paint them.
Closeup of The dream of the wood
Closeup/Process of Tiktaalik
How do you make your work, does it start with a sketch?
I start with a series of very rough sketches in my sketchbook, then choose the best one, translate it onto the canvas, and slowly and steadily build it up with paint. It sometimes takes me thousands of brushstrokes to paint one object, but that’s ok. I value meticulousness because it is a great way of showing how much reverence the artist has for what they desire to depict.
Process of Tiktaalik
Many artists live by their routines and rituals, what does yours look like?
My only ritual is to spend as many hours as possible at the studio. I enjoy listening to powerful, poetic female vocalists like Feist, Neko Case, and Florence and the Machine while I work. They sing in the way I wish to paint.
Who are your biggest influences?
Right now, it's plants and animals that are extinct. I wish I could talk to them.
Left: Studio view. Right: One Block, 2024, Acrylics on canvas, 48x36 inches
Are there books or films that are an important source of inspiration?
Natural History of Plants by Sangtae Lee (book), Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin (book), The Ig Nobel Prizes: The Annals of Improbable Research by Marc Abrahams (book), Planet Ant - Life Inside The Colony (documentary), and A Bug's Life (film).
When everything was made of wood, 2025, Acrylics on canvas, 24x30 inches
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
When you’re stuck on a piece, go on a walk, then come back with a fresh set of eyes. This was awesome advice from Professor Cheryl Wassenaar when I was a freshman at WashU, and it saved me from making hasty decisions.
What is the best advice you would give to other artists?
It’s gonna work out if it's meant to!
Portrait of the artist
Stay up to date with Becky Moon
Website beckymoon.art
Instagram @q1moon