In Reverence to the Feminine : Nahyun Kim | On the Mountainside

A Pact Before Birth, Nahyun Kim,  2023, Oil on Canvas, $800

Nahyun Kim 

Artist Statement

Based in San Francisco | unceded Ramaytush Ohlone land

I paint inner visuals that are drawn from my experiences as a Korean American woman who immigrated to the U.S. at the cusp of teenage years. Painting these inner visuals allows me to create new symbols of empowerment, and it acts as containers that hold both masculine and feminine energies which we all harness within us regardless of gender. By practicing and playing with this balance, I am visualizing the landscapes of home where we can be free to embrace the chaotic nature of human existence and rise above. 

The landscapes in my paintings are fantastical excursions reminiscent of Korean folktales. Through these visuals, I am digging into my ancestry beyond culture and race - they are a primal search of my/our beginnings. Where do we come from and how can we channel that here in this lifetime? Through my work, I am delving deeper into our roots that transcend the limitations of this society and lifetime. It is the freedom of our expressions and experiences that allow us to consistently grow and be propelled forward. 

On the Mountainside

Two women in forms of yellow celestial bodies are intertwined with their braids. It is a fantastical reinterpretation of my ancestors nested between mountains that are reminiscent of Korean landscapes. This painting is a symbol of how much strength and magic we can gain through sisterhood.