She is practicing artist, writer and curator whose trans-disciplinary research investigates the intersections of history, power, and visual culture. Carlson was born in Seoul, Korea, but grew up in Seattle, WA where she attended the University of Washington. She received a BFA in Printmaking and BAs in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts and History. After her undergraduate work, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she completed a Dual Degree MFA in Printmaking and MA in Visual & Critical Studies from the California College of the Arts.