Final Journey

On March 16, 2021, 8 people were killed in a mass execution aimed at Asian women in the Atlanta and Acworth, Ga areas—a horrific crime that highlights the ongoing rise in assaults on Asian Americans. I am a resident of the Atlanta metro area, and I am Korean American. The news of this killing spree gutted me, but at the moment, I didn’t have time to read much about it, as I was preparing to leave town. The headline that appeared on my feeds simply outlined that 4 of the women were Korean.

In the days after, as I was focusing on my family and our trip, my thoughts continued to come back to these women and the snippets I saw that they worked in a massage parlor.

While the media acknowleged that it was an attack on Asian women, my heart felt so much pain for their families. One woman, a single mom, who had two sons left alone in a country she brought them to for a better life. My mama heart grieved. Her own shame in where she worked caused her to tell others she was a make-up artist. But like any mom, she was trying to provide for her family and worked long hours every day to do so.

This was their ohm-ma, their mom. A woman who laughed with them, raised them—told them to eat more, study harder, make good choices, go to college—all the things that Korean moms tell their children. All the things that all moms tell their children.

All of these women have families who love them, grieve for them, long to turn back time to be with them

How, do I, as a Korean American woman process all of this? For days, I couldn’t. And when I finally sat down at my in-law’s kitchen table, away from the bussle of the tv and family conversation, I began to pour out my heart onto paper the image that kept coming back to my mind—these four beautiful women in traditional Korean Hanboks, being lead by the cherry blossom petals that are so abundant along the roadways and hiking paths leading up to the mountains in the spring.

Prints are 9×12” images printed on 11×14” cold press paper and include hand painted gold accents. Each print is numbered, signed, and will come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Prints are not matted or framed, so that you can select your preferred method to display it.

100% of the proceeds (minus printing costs) will be donated to the 8 victims’ families.

Please note: Your purchase is a pre-order. Orders will begin shipping April 19, 2021. Once shipped, you will receive an email with a tracking number. Purchases made after April 19th will have a 3-5 day processing time prior to being shipped.  Should your order be delayed, Plein de Bonté Studios will contact you via email. Because this purchase is a fundraising effort, all sales are final. If you receive a damaged print, please notify us per our terms and agreements.

For questions, please contact us at hello@pleindebonte.com.