Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey Kim.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m originally from South Korea, currently working and living in Queens, New York. Growing up in the southeastern part of Korea I found art quite naturally. I was more like a quiet kid and rather enjoyed spending time by doing things that didn’t’ need too much physical movement such as calligraphy and drawing.
From the time I can remember I was always a kind of kid who liked to think, draw, and read. I liked to hang out with friends, as long as it was just one or two. I am more the introverted type. As long as I had the tools I need to draw, I always had such a pleasure expressing what I was doing. And, that led me to think about art for my future. I did my undergraduate in South Korea and wanted to experience more outside my home country, so I entered a master’s program in Nottingham, UK and then another in New York. Like a lot of other art students, I had started representational work first, which I spent years learning rigorously before I discovered abstract painting. I fell deep into this practice, not with a specific goal in mind but more naturally.
Through the lines I make on canvas, I feel more poised and more myself; my painting helps to find myself even more every day. So, I’m hoping to share what I consider the big part of myself with anyone who might be interested.
Please tell us about your art.
It is through emotions that I connect with experiences from my past. Often, I feel as though I am reliving moments gone by, which can be both a source of inspiration and a source of fear. Over time, I came to understand that real freedom comes from living in the moment – by embracing the ‘now’. This practice, therefore, became a method through which to find escape. It is the teaching of Zen that most closely resembles this artistic state.
Zen requires only that we return to our original mind. I can be shaken by the struggles of my past, but the ability to return to my original self is always present. Painting has become a path for me to achieve this realization. When I paint, I follow only the moment of my brush, whose trace is invariably left on the canvas. These intuitive gestures do not represent a plan – something preconceived; rather, they derive their nature only from the exact moment of creation. I try to be true to the organic nature of this action and believe that such directness of acting and being is the way to one’s true nature. Zen teaches that we spend years forgetting and abandoning this nature but that we can always access it again – with only a strong determination.
I begin a new painting. On the blank canvas, I apply a coat of primary color, then compose one line after another, repeatedly, answering the call of intuition. I do not dare try to explain the reason for each brush stroke; what I create flows directly from embracing the experience of making art. I try to return constantly to the true nature of my work, rather than settling for mere suggestions or ideas. Furthermore, I imagine new possibilities when each line is made, suggesting an expansion outward. It is impossible to calculate each line’s trajectory, or the laws that define its existence on the canvas – but this state of ‘not knowing’ is what opens the door to an endless world of possibilities.
I consider the contents of each painting to reflect a captured moment: the record of a genuine experience. My hope is that my work provides viewers with a window to the truth of their own being.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Life is about learning – and art is no different. I continue to find new lessons in everything I create. Emerging artists face constant rejection. When I find myself discouraged, I try to remind myself that every artist, every style, has its place in this world. The process is just about finding one’s fit. As long as I work hard, remain prepared for new opportunities, and continue enjoying, good things will come. So, trust and true to be yourself!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
On my website, LaceyKim.com, guests can freely browse my paintings. I try to update the site regularly.
My work is also available for purchase via Saatchi Online: Saatchiart.com/laceykim.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laceykim.com
- Email: lkimstudio@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lkimstudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/laceykimart
- Twitter: twitter.com/laceykkim
Image Credit:
Lacey Kim
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