Project Room: Kinship: Yool Kim

Focusing on themes of human relationships and the connections that are made between us, Kim's new series of works have a self-reflective element to them with the artist drawing on her inner self and feelings as a catalyst to her image and mark making. Engaging with the influences and interactions of the world around her, this new series of paintings is a study of how the human experience draws us together. With titles such as, ‘You Can Rely on Me’ and ‘In Your Arms’, Kim emphasises our inherent human dependency to one another.

“I want to depict various aspects of myself, and to show how one can be changed by others. Those around us can create other personalities within the self, expressed in my work within the overlap of faces and bodies.”

In studying human relationships in this way, Kim has created a series that is deeply personal and self-reflective. The works feature multiple intertwined figures, embracing or gliding around each other. We see faces repeated many times, running along the limbs of the figures, embodying a series of selves. Kim presents her past selves and relationships holding each other in understanding, coming together with compassion and empathy. The works have a sense of harmony and balance to them, brimming with colour and pattern with a distinctly folk aesthetic; they are considered and calming. Kim uses organic tones and pigments, scraping away the surface of the paint to create intricate details and patterns. The veneer of life is not what is on show here, it’s the layers, the underneath, which so often only becomes visible through making a connection.

Kim's latest body of work sees her style evolve from her previous practice. The Artist explains ‘Just as there are many different aspects within me, I have continued to develop a painting that resembles those aspects. The style may seem different from the outside, but the essence remains unchanged. My previous works are part of the process of coming to my current style. At that time and now, they are all my style.’

We are excited to see how this emerging artist has built her own personal aesthetic and we look forward to welcoming her to the Project Room.

To register your interest, email info@rhodescontemporaryart.com.