Gary Mercury's diverse journey blends resilience, creativity, and passion for food, art, and community.

Raised in Honolulu, he learned cooking from his Korean grandfather, who made homemade kimchee, mango bread, and Korean-Hawaiian fusion dishes with family. His parents continued the traditions, while his grandmother excelled in painting and orchids. These roots sparked Gary's love for culinary arts, gardening, art, and family gatherings.

Today, on his nearby farm, he tends to the expansive gardens, creates paintings, organic gelato, baked treats, and spicy chai with a love for each craft.

His path included an Art major at the University of Oregon, a shift to Automotive Tech, and an Architecture degree (Urban Planning focus) from Portland State. The 2008 crash ended his architecture career, leading to depression. At 28, he sold everything and biked solo across the USA in 2009 for renewal. Returning penniless in Seattle, that same night selling a live-painted piece restored his artist spirit.

A 2010 near-death coastal incident during king tides erased his hesitations with big life decisions. He launched Namu Korean/Hawaiian with a friend, is was a major success but 14 hour days for years led to selling the business. He then became a tattoo artist, built tiny houses in Portland, and mastered permaculture gardening. 

Gary traveled solo from Mexico to Colombia, learning Spanish and traditional arts, including printmaking in Oaxaca. He studied further in Bali, Italy, Canada, and Nepal. His wife, Deva has been his biggest supporter, and together they raise their son here in the Rogue Valley. 

A versatile painter and sculptor—known for the "Love Letters" Burning Man art car and a Hawaiian treehouse—Gary brings it all together in Art Links Gelato: his boldest project fusing art, architecture, exceptional food, fun experiences, and eccentricity.

Welcome—come taste, create, and connect!