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      Artist Interview: Ji Woo Kim

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      New York-based artist Ji Woo Kim’s work explores themes of identity in the context of race and ethnicity while questioning the concept of home in relation to her own background as a first-generation immigrant. Through her works she examines resulting factors such as cultural identification and social dynamics, as well as their effects on one’s growth from childhood through adulthood.Recently, I had the chance to interview Ji Woo Kim to discuss her latest projects and the concepts & inspirations behind her artworks.Rom Levy: What about art captivated you first, and what led you to become an artist?Ji Woo Kim: I think art was just naturally part of my childhood, as I was exposed to the joys of making art at such a young age. I have very vivid memories of spending hours with my uncle, who is an architect, sitting on the floor of my room and drawing together. We would often create narratives for the figures or scenes that we were drawing, using the drawings as a tool for storytelling. I don’t know if I ever woke up one day and decided to make a conscious decision on becoming an artist. It seems like it was more of a natural outcome in the normal course of things.When did you start practicing art? Do you make any other form of art other than paintings? I started getting into artmaking seriously in high school, which is when I decided that I wanted to go to art school for my college education. This is when I started taking lessons in drawing and painting, which became the basis of my technical skills that I am now applying in my practice. During my undergraduate studies, I explored different mediums, such as sculpture, printmaking, and drawing, but I’ve always enjoyed painting the most. With the current type of work I’m making, painting is the medium that I best see fit, so I’m focusing on just paintings at the moment.What does painting as a medium deliver that other mediums fail to achieve?I can only speak to what painting does for me and the work that I’m currently working on, as different mediums serve different purposes, but I think painting is a highly expressive medium. The subtleties of the paint are so beautiful to me, such as the way a brushstroke can convey so much through the type of brush you use, the way the bristles of the brush touch upon the surface, the thickness or thinness of the paint, the amount of pressure used when applying the paint, the way pigments of color mix together – it all works together to create a very distinctly different way of painting for everyone. It would be incredibly hard to create a painting that looks exactly the same or was created in the exact same way that someone else did, because there are so many variables. In this way, it’s a very personal way of making art, which is why I think it works well with the type of personal narrative I’m unfolding in my work.What is the concept behind your work? My work speaks to my own experience of growing up and living as a minority in a culture and environment that I am not native to. Having spent my formative years in an awkward stage of assimilation and later realizing that I do not/cannot fully belong to either of my cultures, I’ve become interested in creating work that depicts personal fragments of my life belonging to the 2 different physical and cultural environments I grew up in – Canada and South Korea. Creating this type of work has allowed me to investigate my identity further and also examine what determines a place as “home” for people with multicultural identities.The images make the spectator reminisce about childhood memories. Do you reference images from your youth, or are they found pictures of other’s family photos? The source imagery I work with are photos from my own childhood that my family members took. Recently, I’ve shifted focus onto photos that depict scenes from my mother’s college years in South Korea, as I’m interested in comparing my life to hers and observing the differences in terms of her having lived the majority of her life in an environment that she was native to, while I grew up as a minority.What do you aim to deliver to the viewer? For people with similar experiences and identities, I hope to draw out a feeling of being seen, heard, and understood. For people who have been lucky enough to live most if not all of their lives as part of the majority, I hope my work will be a chance for them to at least think about seeing, hearing, and understanding. Ultimately, I want to facilitate dialogue on the topics of Asian American identity and immigrant life.How do you think people relate to your paintings? I’ve been incredibly touched by the way my work has been received by not only Asian-Americans, but with immigrants in general. I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me that seeing my work has been a sort of healing process for them, or that they are grateful that I’m making this type of work. It makes me happier than what words can describe when I’m met with this type of feedback, as I could have never imagined that so many people with different upbringings could relate and connect to the work on such a deep level. At the same time, it is very saddening to hear that the same amount of people have had experiences where they were marginalized. “Lunchtime Heaven and Hell” is a painting that has drawn out numerous conversations with people over a collective experience of being made fun of for being part of a different culture in a Western society. I think the most rewarding part of making the type of work that I make is that I get to hear all the personal stories people share about their own private experiences of growing up and living as an immigrant.How does the fact that you are a first-generation immigrate in the US affect your work? I’ve mentioned in a previous interview with my friends at The Here and There Collective that being a first-generation immigrant (technically 1.5 generation) is perhaps the largest part of my identity, and that it has absolutely everything to do with everything for me. I would not be making the type of work that I make if it wasn’t for my experience of immigrating to North America at such a young age, spending my formative years and adolescence in a constant state of self-doubt, and being regarded as too Asian by non-Asians, while being labeled as whitewashed by fellow Asians. Even if I wasn’t making work that was directly talking about this issue, I’m sure it would’ve made its way into my work in one way or another, as it’s impossible to separate myself from such an impactful experience.When do you know a painting is done? Is your aim to duplicate your reference photo or deliver something else that the photos fail to address? It’s hard to describe in words when and how I know that the painting is done. I think it’s best put that it’s when you’re at a point in the painting where after observing the work from a few feet away, you get an intuitive feeling that this is the right moment to put the brush down – that if you make one more mark on the canvas, it will cross the line from being complete to overworked. It’s difficult though, and I’ve definitely had instances where I wished that I hadn’t done the last step in the painting, and realized that it would have been just as good (maybe even better) if I had left it as is at an earlier stage.I am interested in the ephemerality of paintings, do you view your own work as precious? If you are unhappy with a work, do you tend to destroy it or would you rather put it in storage for a while and alter them at a later date?I think I view my work as being precious in the sense that I would obviously be upset if something were to happen to it, like being destroyed or getting lost in transit, but I don’t have any issues with it being altered in my hands through my own decisions. So far, I’ve never left a painting finished that I’m unhappy with, so I’ve never destroyed anything. And I’ve never put a painting away for months to come back to it at a later date either. I’m quite a single-minded person – sometimes to a fault, so if something isn’t working in the painting, I have to fix it right then and there. I’ve had instances in the studio where I struggle with a part of the painting and end up lying on the floor and crying, before getting back up, neatly tying my hair back again, and then repeat the process of wiping away and repainting the same area for 6-7 hours in one sitting. Another time, I wrapped up in the studio feeling ambiguous about a specific cloud in a painting, thinking that I would come back to it the next morning and fix it. As soon as I cleaned up and washed my brushes, took off my apron, turned the lights off, and was ready to leave the studio, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to sleep as long as the cloud was bothering me, so I set up my palette again and repainted it.Have you ever painted a mural? If not would you be curious to try this medium? I have not had the opportunity to paint a mural yet. With the nature of my work in terms of its context and what I’m trying to convey, it would be very interesting to try something like a mural, which is in the realm of public art. It would allow for a larger audience and a bigger conversation, but I’m not sure how the work would translate onto a much more expansive surface in terms of the brushstrokes I use in my work. The largest size I’ve worked on to date is a 72×48 inch canvas, so I can imagine that working on a mural would be a big jump in terms of size.What are you currently working on, and what are your future plans I’m currently working towards a solo show planned for next May with a Canadian gallery called Blouin-Division in Montreal. This will be my first show in Canada, which is where I grew up and spent most of my life, so it’ll be a very meaningful show for me. The body of work that I’m creating for that show will focus largely on portraying group scenes, which speak to the community that I never had when growing up as a minority. More

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      “Carnival Is Canceled” by Case Maclaim at Aalborg, Denmark

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      “Carnival Is Canceled” by international renowned artist Case Maclaim was made in collaboration with Kirk Gallery as part of their “Out In The Open” Project last 2020. The mural portrays a woman in a clown costume and a partly completed clowns mask. She thought she was going to the carnival.As Case Maclaim put it, “A carnival is something special because it is an event where all are equal. It is the only time of the year where everybody gets to be the same – rich or poor, CEO or student, man or women, since everybody is dressed out to be something different”Aalborg was the first city Samira and me have traveled to after the first German shutdown. The cities famous and traditional carnival had been canceled and the travel ban was lifted the day prior to our arrival. We pretty much kept traveling while working ever since, for most parts by car. There is no one I’d rather be together 24/7. It’s Samira’s birthday today, so I feel extra grateful for her. To know her, means to love her! My forever most favorite, beautiful face to paintA German urban artist native to Frankfurt, Andres Von Chrzanowski (a.k.a. CASE or CASE Maclaim) is a graffiti painter who relies on his highly developed talent to create pieces that combine brilliant photorealism with a strong note of surrealism. This artist primarily uses spray paint as this street art technique enables him to get the most out of his visuals and achieve the level of perfection his incredibly life-like graffiti possess.One of Andres Von Chrzanowski’s most common pictorial motifs are the overlaying hands that symbolize unity and power. It should also be noted that CASE is a founding member of the renown East- Germany Maclaim Crew, a group that has been the urban expression’s photorealism pioneer for over two decades now. More

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      Artist Retrospective: INTI

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      A visual artist and muralist born in Valparaíso, Chile, INTI creates artworks surly carries out not more than the meaning, he also transmits the warm colours of it. Painting on canvasses, creating sculptures or large murals, his artwork addresses birthplace of the Latin American culture, multiplying it on a global level.INTI, whose name means the Incan sun god and the Quechua word for ‘the Sun’, gives a special orange/sun glow in his works, which has become his Moniker of sorts, INTI’s style is not only unique and outstanding but thoughtful and calm; the combination of bright Latin colours and the Ancient South American culture is stunning.Take a look below for a selection of INTI’s stunning works across the globe.“La Madre Secular 2” in Paris, France, 2016“La Madre Secular” is a series by INTI, it is a representation of the Madonna, where the sacred remains outside the religious context, and stands as something possible without breaking the laws of nature.Through the iconic composition, with symbols linked to nature and science, this Madonna replaces the apple from the biblical tale for Newton’s apple, as an allegory to the era of knowledge and skepticism.“Random” in Jishou, China, 2016“El TAMARUGO” in Chile, 2021The mural features a Tamarugo tree which is a native species from the north of Chile, which manages to survive in one of the most arid places on the planet, Atacama Desert. The ability of this species to survive has been vital to the communities that inhabit these places since ancient times, and a symbol of life and resistance to the devastation of resources caused by mega-mining in these lands.INTI creates artworks surly carries out not more than the meaning, he also transmits the warm colours of it. Painting on canvasses, creating sculptures or large murals, his artwork addresses birthplace of the Latin American culture, multiplying it on a global level.Mural in Cali, Colombia, 2014“Soleil” in Lyon, France, 1019“A Pale Blue Dot” in Grenoble, France, 2020“A Pale Blue Dot” features a woman embodying the universe with a small dot in her hands that represents the Earth. This mural was made as part of the Grenoble Street Art Fest. Together with the artwork, INTI left us with a quote from Carl Sagan. “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves”“Exodus” in Rabat, Morocco, 2015Mural in San Antoni, Ibiza, Spain,2014Mural in Santiago, Chile, 2014“Polvere di Stelle” in Naples, Italy, 2020For more updates on the talented Chilean artist, make sure to check out our #INTI page! More

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      “Tierra” by SpY in Madrid, Spain

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      In “Tierra”, SpY presents an artistic project made up of a luminous red sphere caged inside a cube-shaped structure, constructed with the type of scaffolding normally used on building sites. These 2 simple geometric elements (sphere and cube) form a large-scale construction which stands almost 25 metres high and has been installed in Plaza de Colón in Madrid.This powerful visual statement is accompanied by a bright red light emanating from inside the sphere, from which one can almost feel the heat transmitted by the concept of the work.In this work, SpY asks us to reflect on the way in which our home makes up a whole of which we form part, and in which everything is connected as if it were a living creature. There have always been changing climate conditions and the Earth has always been constantly evolving. However, as a consequence of human activity, these changes are happening over a very short period of time and have resulted in worrying alterations.Unfortunately, this rapid change has created an impact which could become irreversible. We need to propose dialogue and actions that will contribute to improved collective awareness through a value system which can turn this situation around. The challenge we all face is to take small individual steps to improve and contribute to our sense of shared responsibility.Through this artistic offering, SpY invites the audience to reflect and enjoy this urban installation, where visitors will be surprised by the scale and the contrasting light set against the city background.In “DATA” pictured above, SpY offers a reflection on the rapid and widespread inclusion of algorithms in numerous aspects of our lives.  In this audio-visual work, digital abstraction is used to explore and interpret how predictive tools operated through algorithms and artificial intelligence are highly beneficial in terms of aspects such as communication, research and medicine, but can also lead us to lose some of our freedoms if they are not used ethically.SpY is an urban artist whose first endeavors date back to the mid-eighties. Shortly after, already a national reference as a graffiti artist, he started to explore other forms of artistic communication in the street. His work involves the appropiation urban elements through transformation or replication, commentary on urban reality, and the interference in its communicative codes.Check out below for more photos os SpY’s work. More

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      Latest Installation by Gola Hundun in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

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      Italian artist Gola Hundun shares his latest installation in Luxembourg wherein he did his residency at Kufa in Esch last month. He calls his piece: “Economic power must redefine its parasitic position about the world. We need to become a choral system of small self-sufficient centers that collaborate as the roots of a tree contribute to shape a trunk. Respect for other forms of life! Superior Love or extinction now!”It was the first time the artist faced a complex project. Gola Hundun worked with a lot of materials such as  iron, wood ,wicker, living plants soil. He produced a coral piece, a group of sculptures installed in the train station of Esch sur Alzette.“Roots as the beginning of a new world are the ones that my new work in Esch shows up.Roots for an interconnected existence just like railways are.Roots of a tree-scheme society where every living being collaborates with each other.Roots with an inner power capable of subverting the capitalistic system.Roots to begin a new lifestyle.Earth will always keep on existing – even after us. Without Earth in its current shape, we won’t exist.Roots connected to the Earth.”“…inside each root there is a plant pot in which Ivy plants will grow on the wicker structure and through time they will symbolize the flag of our ideal!This installation group is part of my research path Habitat , a project that start with the abandoned buildings recolonised by rest of nature, and now approach the living cities, with nature taking back some of their space.”Gola Hundun’s work shows the relationship between human beings and the biosphere. This consideration combined with the conscious decision to live as a vegetarian since the age of 16 positions the artist and his work closer to the animal sphere to the human sphere.He explores themes such as interspecies communication, shamanism, a return to the earth, vegetarianism, and spirituality.Gola Hundun’s work is often representative of the relationship between humans and nature. He has always felt very close to the natural world and describes his ideology as being closer to the animal sphere rather than the human one. His decision to become a vegetarian at the age of 16 speaks to conscientiousness of the animal world. He explores themes such as collaboration vs. domination, shamanism, vegetarianism, energies and mysticism.While best known for his paintings, Gola also incorporates sculpture, fibre, plant life, electronics and performance art into his public installations and paintings. His work has an intensely naturalistic feel to them, with many cues to the plant world including organic curves and bright colors.Take a look below for more photos of the installation. Photo credits: Gilles Kayser More

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      Tbilisi Mural Fest 2021 in Georgia

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      For the third time now, TBILISI MURAL FEST has introduced the beautiful capital of Georgia as an important hub for internationally acclaimed mural artists. The festival has transformed unappealing facades into works of art, addressing social, enviromental and other relevant issues.  According to Festival founder Besik Maziashvili, 33 murals were created in the frameworks of the festival since 2019, creating an open exhibition at different locations. The goal of creating beautiful messages on these open space canvas was accomplished by celebrities of the scene like Case Maclaim, FAITH47, MONKEYBIRD, 1010, etc and will be continued annually. This sudden upswing of street art affects the younger generation of local artists, who traditionally take part in the international festival alongside their renowned colleauges. Tbilisi Mural Fest 2021 line up includes MONKEYBIRD (France), FAITH47 (South Africa), JDL (Holland), APHE (Germany), NOAH (Germany), MAZZA (Brazil), 1010 (Germany), KADE 90 (Georgia), and DAVID SAMKHARADZE (Georgia).Check out below for more photos from the festival. More

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      “Open Your Eyes” by Javier Calleja at Nanzuka Underground in Tokyo, Japan

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      On November 14th 2021 will be opening an exhibition of  new works at NANZUKA UNDERGROUND (Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo).  “Open Your Eyes” marks the artist’s third solo presentation in Japan following his 2018 show “Do Not Touch” (at the former gallery space of NANZUKA UNDERGROUND), and “No Art Here” held concurrently at the two venues of NANZUKA 2G and 3110NZ last year. Calleja’s works are filled with a diverse array of twists and interventions that bring surprise and humor to various events within daily life. Expressing a fondness for the works of René Magritte, the Malaga-based artist references the techniques of the surrealist master in the context of contemporary portraiture, depicting the present-day sitters through his characteristic appropriation of the “BIG EYE.” The changes in color and shifts in scene, as well as the relationship between the facial expressions of his subjects and the texts that accompany them, are aspects that the artist particularly pays close attention to in his work. Furthermore, the overall softness of the setting as well as the play with composition are emphasised further in this body of work, alluring the viewer’s eye towards the narratives suggested by the aforementioned key elements of the work. Continuously confronting life’s difficulties through his sharp-witted creativity and determined to perceive every aspect of life in a positive manner, the new works are becoming that much more relevant in the context of the ongoing global pandemic. Open Your Eyes can indeed be interpreted as a warning against the current state of our world that is becoming more closed and exclusive, and at the same time it is a phrase that appears to present each one of us with the incentive to recognize our own dignity. Highly approachable and could be described as “friendly words of wisdom,” Calleja’s works are permeated with a strong and warm sense of energy that brings encouragement in these difficult times. As we engage with his work and the sheer magnitude of their all-embracing nature, the artist hopes that the viewer becomes aware of their true self.  The exhibition consists entirely of new works. Along with two large three-dimensional works presented inside and outside the gallery, a selection of paintings on canvas and drawings will also be showcased on this occasion. Open Your Eyes will run until 26th of December 2021. More

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      “Natura Morta” by REKA in Bari, Italy

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      Australian artist James Reka aka “REKA” & “Reka One” has recently finished a mural entitled “Natura Morta” / Still Life in San Paolo quarter of Bari, Italy. ‘Natura Morta’ is an abstract representation of a bowl of sliced fruit and floral elements. The 5-storey mural was invited to take part part of a larger mural project – QM SanPaolo, an urban museoformation project curated by Stefano S. Antonelli and Gianluca Marziani.“This mural marks a new direction in style and content for me, steering away from the figurative to pure abstraction. Looking forward to what is in the near future, Reka stated”James Reka stands as one of Australia’s most respected contemporary artists, having earn’t his place in the National Gallery of Australia’s permanent collection. While currently based in Berlin, Germany. His origins lie in the alleyways and train lines of Melbourne’s inner-suburbs, where he spent over a decade refining his now-emblematic aesthetic and pioneering of a new style of street art in Australia as part of the Everfresh crew.Surrealist, abstracted characters emerge from the depths of Reka’s mind, communicating through strong lines, bold colours and post-cubist styling. Theses figures live in the homes and laneways of three continents, clambering up walls and enriching the urban environment with his iconic visual language.With influences in pop culture, cartooning and illustration, Reka’s studio style emerged from his early design practice, featuring striking lines and colour ways. Over time, the logos and symbols he created evolved into more structured, animated forms and evolved to new mediums: murals, photography, and most recently sculpture. More