Thomas Halbur is a Korean American artist whose work explores heritage, identity, faith, and belonging through a visual language shaped by both Korean tradition and his experiences in the United States.

Born in Masan, South Korea and adopted as an infant, Halbur was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. His story later took him beyond the Midwest through five years of service in the United States Navy, including time in Bremerton, WA and Norfolk, VA.

During his time in the Navy, Halbur found his way back to creating during a difficult and uncertain season of his life. Before knowing Christ, art became an outlet that helped him process what he was experiencing and reconnect with a creative gift that had long been a part of him. Looking back through the lens of faith, he now recognizes that season as one of the many ways God was working in his life before he fully understood it.

Halbur draws inspiration from the colors, patterns, symbolism, and storytelling found within Korean visual traditions such as Dancheong and Minhwa, weaving them together with influences encountered growing up in America, including vintage rubber hose animation, playful illustration, and psychedelic art. Working primarily with POSCA acrylic markers on wooden panels, he reinterprets traditional imagery through a bold and contemporary visual language.

Central to Halbur’s practice is his faith in Jesus Christ. His work reflects an ongoing journey of understanding heritage and identity through the greater truth of who he is in Christ. Rather than viewing creativity simply as self expression, Halbur approaches art as a gift from God to be faithfully stewarded.

Through touchofseoul, he seeks to honor the heritage he was given, share the testimony God has entrusted to him, and create work rooted in Christ while inviting others into conversations surrounding identity, restoration, belonging, and grace.