From Seoul, South Korea / Lives and Works in New York City
Keerim Kim’s current body of work centers around the concept of home, shaped by her experience as a migrant. This ongoing search draws heavily on the natural world. Shell animals carry their protective homes with them, embodying a sense of constant, portable security. Sea turtles return to their birthplace to nest, and perennial plants grow back each year, recalling where they originated.
Her exploration extends to how she infuses meaning into the various places she has called home, both past and present. Home is not only tied to physical spaces but also to a comfortable state of mind. The familiarity of her earlier homes contrasts with the adaptation and new perspectives of her current environment, both of which shape her understanding of belonging, displacement, and transformation.
Kim’s paintings reflect a fusion of life and imagination, creating abstract yet familiar moments. She is drawn to shapes and forms that bridge the natural and architectural worlds, such as the curves of shells meeting hard edges and corners. The use of light, color, and opacity is integral—not only to evoke mood but also to explore movement and the passage of time, as time is essential to understanding how the concept of home evolves. Through layering these elements, she captures the shifting nature of belonging.
keerim.kim@gmail.com
Instagram @keerimkim