This exhibition is a compilation of artwork Kyoungho Isaac Kim has worked on for several years as an art student at Saint Mary’s College of California. The search for identity is the key topic for this selection of works. Dialogue among artists consists of the ongoing struggle for expression. Artists like Bob Thompson, Nam June Paik, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby have used a wide range of cultural properties to construct their own interpretations of contemporary and canonical art.
The combination of different cultures within a single work of art creates a diverse understanding of the unique nature of the contemporary moment. Using his distinct cultural background of being a Korean-American artist, Isaac connects a bridge between the Western canon of fine art with Korean traditional art forms.
It is impossible to ignore the merging of both lineages in Isaac’s practice. We observe a diverse range of colors, portraits, and abstract line work that comes from the artists’ focused study of the legacy of painting in both cultures.
Within the contemporary context of post-colonialism and post-imperialism, the collection provides insights into recognizable images within a visual melting pot, distorting aspects of the post-colonized and post-colonists within the history of art-making and exploring a new way of blending every aspect of the self to create art.
Artists Statement:
Kyoungho Isaac Kim is a multidisciplinary artist that embraces the Korean and American sides of his life. Most of his artworks are a revision of resistance, borrowing images from the Western canon, and revisiting images. Isaac focuses on techniques and color schemes from focusing on the legacy of painters in Western art. But, he integrates his experience and diversity into immersing both aspects. Growing up in South Korea and in the US, Isaac’s struggle of relating helped him to build an image through painting and other disciplines that represent resistance. His body of work aims to make people relate to the celebration of having multiple cultural backgrounds, knowing that there is a diverse range of possibilities to discover as an artist. Isaac is an art practice major at Saint Mary’s College of California. Contact: kyounghokim12@gmail.com
Images left to right are:
Man with Yellow Hat, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Self Portrait, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Van Gogh, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Woman and Tiger, 2020, Acrylic on paper, 100 x 48 inches.
Artist Bio:
Kyoungho Isaac Kim is a multidisciplinary artist that embraces the Korean and American sides of his life. Most of his artworks are a revision of resistance, borrowing images from the Western canon, and revisiting images. Isaac focuses on techniques and color schemes from focusing on the legacy of painters in Western art. But, he integrates his experience and diversity into immersing both aspects. Growing up in South Korea and in the US, Isaac’s struggle of relating helped him to build an image through painting and other disciplines that represent resistance. His body of work aims to make people relate to the celebration of having multiple cultural backgrounds, knowing that there is a diverse range of possibilities to discover as an artist. Isaac is an art practice major at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Contact: kyounghokim12@gmail.com