Regina Apigo is a UX/UI designer, writer, and artist who primarily paints with water-mixable oils. Born in Seoul, Korea, and raised in Los Angeles, she draws inspiration from the diverse landscapes she grew up exploring. Her paintings reflect the beauty of the hills, deserts, and coasts that have shaped her perspective. Although she majored in political science at UCLA, she also nurtured her artistic side by taking a variety of fine arts classes in college.
Regina has recently exhibited her work in Southern California at the Dorado 806 Gallery in Santa Monica, the Bard Hall Gallery in San Diego, Carter Sexton in N. Hollywood, the Torrance Art Museum’s Mas Attack, Las Laguna Art Gallery, the Ocean Gallery in Santa Barbara, as well as KArtsCon in Kent, England. When she’s not painting, she can often be found reading a good book in the park or running near the ocean.
Presentation: Creating From What Makes Us Come Alive
I was strolling along the Venice Boardwalk in California when I saw a small piece of white paper taped to a store window. The typed quote, with no attribution, read: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” Though I came from a culture with heavy external pressures, those words felt right in my gut. I later learned, the quote came from Howard Thurman, a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. Thurman’s impact on the world came from his own inward journey toward social equality and love.
What if, instead of asking what the world needs our Art To Be, we asked what art wants to emerge from our inward journey? What do we want to create that makes us come alive? Maybe this is the Art To Be that the world truly needs.
As a painter, I find that what makes me come alive is the peace and freedom I feel in the expansive landscapes of Southern California. I also have a deep desire to preserve that fragile beauty. The landscape grounds me. It offers moments of joy amidst the chaos around me. Los Angeles, in particular, has faced wildfires, political turmoil, and a global pandemic. These crises remind us of the importance of centering ourselves and caring for nature. The pandemic, despite its challenges, gave many of us a rare chance to shut out the world’s noise. It allowed us to hear our own inner voice. For me, painting is a way to express that freedom and celebrate the people and places that are deeply connected to my life. I feel most alive and authentic in the ocean, mountains, deserts, palm tree-lined streets, parks, and even among my houseplants.
Ultimately, Art To Be isn’t just about creating work for the future. It’s about our journey inward. We may find that the most meaningful work we create isn’t what the world expects. It’s what we learn about ourselves as we come alive.