Cha Ilyong is a native to Korea and was born in a coastal village near Pohang in 1946. His first exhibition was in 1968 in Manchester, New Hampshire and it gained him widespread acclaim. He received media coverage in the United States and he gained the attention of U.S. Senator Thomas J. McIntyre. In 1978 Cha moved permanently to the United States, first to California and then settling in Kansas where he was able to open his gallery and to raise his family. His paintings hang in national and private galleries worldwide, including Haberdasher’s Hall in England, the New Master’s gallery in California, and Thomas W. Hilligoss’ Gallery in Chicago.