When asked why she creates art Ko says with a smile, “my mission is to sell some of these [sculptures] so I can buy some more shoes.” Those close to Ko know her penchant for fabulous footwear, but they also know she’s a gifted, inspired artist who sees things that others often miss. “I people watch a lot,” says Ko, who describes her work, such as the mother and child, as giving. “I do it because it makes me feel good; I like creating it, and I like sharing it. But most of all, I like to make people smile.” All of Ko’s work has an Asian influence, and when she is creating, the pieces speak to her. “I want to create a dialogue that, hopefully, the buyer will connect with,” she says. Ko, who finds solace in her at-home studio, has several pieces in the works, including one called Kami, which means “divine aura” in Japanese, and another named Kanji, meaning “humble.” For Ko, there is no ultimate goal or finish line when it comes to her art; she’s simply committed to producing pieces that make people smile while putting a little piece of her everlasting out into the world.