Guardians of the Flame
- Title
- Guardians of the Flame
- Creator
- Julia Chon
Julia Sunah Chon, also known as Kimchi Juice, is based in Washington, D.C., and Denver. Chon decided she wanted to be a professional artist at a young age, around 13 or 14 years old. Painting daily made Chon realize her passion for art, and she used it as an outlet through her parents’ divorce. Realizing that regular high school would not allow her the time to pursue her art, she proposed online school, to which her parents agreed. Chon started showing her work at 15, held her first exhibit at 16, and painted her first mural by 17. As a Korean American artist, Chon often includes Korean imagery. Through her art, Chon explores the relationship between culture and identity, aiming to convey the complexity of the Korean diaspora. - Date
- Date of Creation: 2023; Date of Documentation: October 19, 2025
- Description
- This piece depicts three main figures. The composition of the mural is as follows: to the left, there is a phoenix. Behind it is a dragon that winds to the right and wraps around a woman. The form and placement of the dragon around the woman create a sense of protection. The contrast of the colors, the cool-toned blues and greens against the warm-toned reds, oranges, and yellows, creates a dynamic effect. The starkness of the yellow against everything else makes the eye immediately draw to the woman, making her seem the “center” or the most significant part of the piece. The lines at the bottom, curvy and cloud-like, create a sense of movement in the piece. The lines on the bird (the details of the feathers) and the scales on the dragon also echo this sense of movement, making the creatures seem more alive and dynamic. The use of pictorial space creates a slight illusion of 3-dimensional form, as the bird seems to be placed closer (in front of) the dragon, with the woman farther back. This placement of the characters places the phoenix and the dragon the closest to the front, again almost acting as protection, as they put their bodies first and shield the woman more behind them. The scale of the painting is quite large, taking up a whole side of a building. This large scale creates quite a daunting and breathtaking effect. As the viewer looks at it from below, it's like the figures are towering over them, emitting a sense of power and presence.
- Subject
- The owner of the building, Anne, reached out to Julia about painting the mural. As the building was a restaurant, they wanted to do something true to Anne’s personality and also showcase her hopes for the restaurant. Anne cooks frequently with fire, ergo, the fire on the back of the dragon, and also a connection to the woman being the “keeper of the flame.” Chon chose to incorporate the dragon and the phoenix, both representing rebirth and resiliency. In Korea, there is something called “pungsu-jiri-seol,” which is similar to the concept of Feng Shui. Each direction is represented by an animal, and each has a meaning associated with it. The dragon, typically blue, is from the east, and the phoenix is from the south. The phoenix represents rebirth and transformation, while the dragon houses a lot of wisdom, strength, and resiliency. Because of these meanings, Chon and Anne decided to bring the two elements together. They represent not only the depth and significance of her mission and goals, but also her Korean identity, the symbols being culturally sacred. The two creatures act like guardians of the restaurant, hence the title, and their position around the woman, poised like protectors. Finally, since Anne is also Korean American, she wanted a woman wearing a traditional Korean garment, a hanbok. The choice of yellow for the hanbok was a color traditionally worn by royalty, and was also chosen as a homage to Chon’s grandmother. The main colors–bright green, blue, red, and yellow–are typically found in Korean temples. The mural is supposed to spread healing and protective energy, inspiring courage and bold transformation even when facing the darkest of times, to those who see it. Throughout Chon’s work, she aims to honor and uplift the Korean American community. She illuminates history to empower those in the present. Chon is dedicated to preserving the struggle of the Korean American identity and making sure that people’s voices are heard.
- Rights
- Creator: Julia Chon; Researcher: Kimbree Callahan
- Source
- Schaller, Nickel. “Arist Julia Chon Creates & Archives Korean American Culture.” District Fray, 29 April 2022. https://districtfray.com/articles/julia-chon-kimchi-juice/.
Chon, Julia. “About.” Kimchi Juice, 2025. https://www.juliachon.com/about.
Guintanilla, Gisselle. “Guardians of the Flame.” StoryMaps, 17 May 2024, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d851f6376b4e441ba59bea3205460b9c.
Public Art on Lake Street. Visit Lake Street – Lake Street Council, https://www.visitlakestreet.com/public-art.
Files
Citation
Julia Chon
Julia Sunah Chon, also known as Kimchi Juice, is based in Washington, D.C., and Denver. Chon decided she wanted to be a professional artist at a young age, around 13 or 14 years old. Painting daily made Chon realize her passion for art, and she used it as an outlet through her parents’ divorce. Realizing that regular high school would not allow her the time to pursue her art, she proposed online school, to which her parents agreed. Chon started showing her work at 15, held her first exhibit at 16, and painted her first mural by 17. As a Korean American artist, Chon often includes Korean imagery. Through her art, Chon explores the relationship between culture and identity, aiming to convey the complexity of the Korean diaspora. , “Guardians of the Flame,” Museum in the streets: Murals in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, accessed June 7, 2026, https://mspmurals.omeka.net/items/show/179.