'Emily in Paris' Star Ashley Park Just Debuted an Exhibit Dedicated to Korean American Heritage-Here's What to Know

"But despite her global success on stage and screen, she admits there was always a cultural disconnect in her life. "Growing up as a Korean American, I separated my Korean life from being American," the 34-year-old star told Travel + Leisure. "My Korean heritage was at church, through my grandma's cooking, or at home, and it often felt like I couldn't be American if I had that in my life.""

"But now she's returned to New York City, proudly showcasing her roots while debuting a new immersive installation,"Chroma: Tales Between Hues,"at the Genesis House, a Korean cultural hub with a restaurant, teahouse, and cellar stage alongside a showroom of vehicles from Hyundai's luxury car brand. Leaning on Park's knack for storytelling, the exhibit includes six installations inspired by Korean folklore and the obangsaek (the traditional Korean color spectrum) of blue, red, yellow, white, and black."

"While audiences may be most familiar with her moving rendition of "La Vie en Rose" from the first season of Emily in Paris andher Grammy-nominated performance on "The King and I"soundtrack, the first music Park recalls hearing from her own childhood are Korean folk songs, which were often paired with traditional folktales. Through the process of curating the exhibition, she feels she was able to connect with her culture even more deeply."

Ashley Park performed on Broadway and earned a Tony nomination for Gretchen Weiner in Mean Girls. Growing up Korean American, she separated her Korean life from being American, with heritage expressed at church, through her grandmother's cooking, or at home. She returned to New York to debut Chroma: Tales Between Hues at Genesis House, a Korean cultural hub. The exhibit features six installations inspired by Korean folklore and the obangsaek color spectrum of blue, red, yellow, white, and black. Park connects folklore to morals of honesty and empathy and recalls Korean folk songs from childhood. Curating the exhibition deepened her cultural connection and prompted reflection on how colors evoke heritage.

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