At 92 years old, Korean Canadian artist Duck Yull Park is proving that art can connect communities separated by geography, language and history. His detailed paintings inspired by Sikh heritage have attracted attention across Canada for their beauty, but their deeper significance comes from the personal story behind the canvas.
Park was born in what is now North Korea and was forced to leave his home at the age of 17 during the Korean War. According to OMNI News, he became one of the millions of people displaced by the conflict and division of the Korean Peninsula. The experience of leaving behind a familiar homeland would remain an important part of his life, shaping the way he understood stories of separation, identity and survival.
Years later, Park worked as a structural engineer near the Korean Demilitarized Zone while continuing to pursue an artistic passion that began during childhood. His interest in Sikh history developed after he discovered books about Sikh art at a library. Speaking to OMNI News, Park said he was struck by the artistic depth of the paintings and noticed similarities between the older visual traditions of Korea and the Sikh works he encountered.
That discovery became the beginning of a remarkable cultural journey. Park began creating intricate paintings portraying Sikh architecture, heritage and historical figures. Rather than approaching the subject as an outsider attempting to reproduce unfamiliar images, he found emotional connections between the histories of Korean and Sikh communities. Both have experienced the consequences of division, migration and the struggle to preserve identity across generations.
One of Park’s notable paintings is a reimagined portrait of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the final Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. The work was displayed during a Sikh Heritage Month exhibition at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives in Brampton, where Park was also honoured for his artistic contributions. His participation brought a unique perspective to an exhibition centred on Sikh history by showing how one community’s heritage can resonate deeply with the lived experience of another.
According to OMNI News, longtime family friend Satwinder Gosal described Park’s paintings as reflections of more than visual beauty. Gosal said themes such as the loss of a country, the loss of community and the experience of rebuilding life in another part of the world are deeply connected to Sikh history. Through Park’s artwork, viewers from Korean backgrounds can gain a new understanding of Sikh experiences, while Sikh Canadians can see their history interpreted through a thoughtful and unexpected lens.
Park’s artistic career extends far beyond this recent recognition. The Korean Artists Society of Canada lists his studies at Han Yang University and Graduate School in Seoul, Ryerson University in Toronto and the Hamnam Fine Arts Studio in Korea. His work has also appeared in exhibitions connected to Toronto, Seoul, Paris and the Korean Canadian artistic community.
The public response to his Sikh inspired paintings has been especially meaningful for Park. Speaking to OMNI News, he expressed gratitude that people gathered around his artwork, studied the details and discussed the stories represented in the paintings. For an artist who has carried memories of displacement for decades, the interest reflects the ability of art to turn personal history into a shared conversation.
Canada’s multicultural identity is often discussed through food, festivals and public celebrations. Park’s story reveals a more intimate form of cultural exchange. His paintings demonstrate that meaningful connections can emerge when people take the time to learn about histories beyond their own communities. Cultural understanding does not always begin with a formal institution or a political speech. Sometimes it begins quietly, with a library book, a paintbrush and the recognition of a familiar emotion in an unfamiliar story.
As readers continue to explore stories about Canadian communities through Weekly Voice and its Canada news coverage, Park’s work offers a powerful reminder that heritage is not limited to one group. His paintings bring Korean and Sikh histories into conversation, creating a moving tribute to resilience, memory and the lasting human desire to preserve a sense of belonging.
