About (Bio & Artist statement)

BIOSeonju Townsend is a painter and a printmaker. She earned her BFA and MFA from Towson University, MD. where she studied painting, drawing, and printmaking. She is refining her skills in the use of oil, oil pastels, graphite, and printmaking. She … — **BIO**
I am a painter, a printmaker and an educator. I earned my BFA and MFA from Towson University, MD. I taught students in Maryland and Washington State. My work is about face. People's faces contain a lot of life experiences. It's like a map of life and sometimes it's like my mirror. I observe and capture their appearance using various materials.

Artist Statement

I have always been drawn to people—their diversity, life stories, and the subtle truths that can be read through their outward appearance. Our bodies hold the marks of lived experience. Scars, wrinkles, and other physical details reveal traces of a person’s environment, habits, and overall well-being.

The face holds a unique and powerful presence among all body parts. It is where individuality is most clearly expressed. The face is like an unfinished map, constantly evolving as we live, age, and feel.

Facial expressions are more than emotional reactions; they form a secret language—a nonverbal way of hiding and revealing at the same time. In conversation, a single glance or subtle change in expression can communicate more truth than spoken words.

This expressive and symbolic potential of the human face captivates me and is why it has become the central subject of my work. I am not simply interested in likeness—I strive to capture the impression a person carries, the quiet presence shaped by their life.

I aim to tell human stories through close observation and thoughtful rendering through the face. Because within each line, curve, and expression, a life quietly reveals itself.