ABOUT THE ARTIST
Yoon Hee Kim is a tea specialist, photographer, multicultural educator, chef and tea ceremony artist.
Born into a family of entrepreneurs, social activists and creative minds, with a long history of tea that spans many generations, Yoon Hee has had a life long passion for all things tea. As president of TeaClassics, offering wholesale teas, teawares and accessories as well as tea photos, educational seminars and consulting services, Yoon Hee travels the world in pursuit of fine teas.
Yoon Hee¡¯s tea journeys take her from remote Chinese villages devoted entirely to artisanal tea production to tea rooms across Asia, North America, Europe and Africa. Her explorations also allow her to photograph, taste and cook with high quality teas while experiencing the cultural surroundings from which they stem. Capturing these often meditative moments with her camera, Yoon Hee allows the rest of the world to catch glimpses of various cultures who share the age-old, rich tradition of drinking and experiencing tea in its truest form.
Her ongoing studies with Buddhist Tea Masters in Asia, as well as hands-on experience and exposure to tea ceremonies, production and preparation processes in the countries of origin weave a rich story that she shares internationally. A frequent speaker at tea conferences, corporate trainings and educational institutions, Ms. Kim has presented at a wide range of venues including the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, World Tea Expo and Rocky Mountain Tea Festival. Yoon Hee¡¯s photographs can also be seen in tea rooms and gallery exhibits, showcasing the beautiful art of tea and tea cultures. In 2007, she was invited to feature her photos in a solo international exhibition at the World Tea Festival in Seoul, Korea.
Yoon Hee is an international lecturer, a certified instructor for the U.S. Tea Association¡¯s Specialty Tea Institute (STI) and a member of its professional certification committee. She currently also serves on the STI Advisory Board. Additionally, as a certified tea master, Yoon Hee teaches and performs the traditional art of Korean Tea Ceremony, and is the founding director of the Korean Tea Culture Foundation which she established to educate tea enthusiasts from all cultures about the 2,000 years of history, traditions, philosophy and practices involved with the Way of Korean Tea.
Ms. Kim holds a B.A. from Smith College in education with minors in asian studies and government, a M.A from Monterey Institute of International Studies in international public policy, and did post-graduate studies in public administration and business. As an experienced chef, and graduate of New York's Institute of Culinary Education, Yoon Hee also enjoys creating tea recipes and educating people about tea and culinary pairings.
Prior to transitioning to the tea industry full time, Yoon Hee was a long time community organizer and civil rights advocate, helping to build communities around the country and connect people from diverse backgrounds. By sourcing fine teas and sharing her stories of tea from across the regions, Yoon Hee¡¯s lifelong passion for tea and deep seeded desire to create positive social change and help connect the world is being realized, one delicious cup at a time.