Kyong Ae Kim
My recent series of work, ‘Neither Flora nor Fauna’ unfolds my fascination with paper cutting and painting on Hanji, handmade Korean rice paper in the traditional Asian scroll/screen painting format. I chose the triple layered Hanji because its thickness and qualities allows the merge of the two elements of intricate paper cutting and illustration-like acrylic painting in a contemporary term. ‘Neither Flora nor Fauna’ developed from a combination of eastern and western influences. I studied painting with a focus on western media such as oil and acrylic paint. However, growing up in Korea, I have been influenced by the energetic brushstrokes and minimalistic quality of traditional Korean paintings. These traditional paintings evoke the vitality of nature and principal elements in life. These ideas are integral and connect to the central theme of my work, the coexistence and symbiotic relationships in nature. Through the imagined landscapes that composed with endangered species and various natural elements, I create a unique serenity.
In ‘The Skull’ series, I use photographs of skulls from endangered species of polar bears and elephants. I hand cut drafting films by shade from brightest to darkest and transform them into multi layers. The layers in the works imply time and evolution. It is just like fossils.
For more information about the artist, please visit his website.