Today we’d like to introduce you to Young Kim.
Hi Young, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey with art started way back in first grade in South Korea, when I drew an ocean diver and totally fell in love with creating. Back in the 1980s, art education wasn’t really a thing, so I didn’t get any formal training until middle school. Luckily, I had a teacher who encouraged me to go for art school, but money and my parents’ wishes pushed me in another direction.
When I got to university, I channeled my creativity into making Christian-themed cartoons, which ended up being pretty popular in church bulletins. After graduating, life got busy—work and financial stress meant I didn’t have much time for art. Still, I picked up painting again in 2006 and 2016, always finding new inspiration through self-teaching and YouTube videos.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and suddenly I had the chance to paint a lot more regularly. By 2022, artists like John Singer Sargent and Egon Schiele were really influencing my style. Things got real in 2023 when Sparrow Gallery in Denison invited me to show my work, and I started joining local art guilds. These days, I’m working with oil, acrylic, ink, and collage, and loving this late-blooming, fulfilling career—something I never thought I’d experience.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In addition to facing financial challenges during the early years of marriage and settling in the US as a first-generation immigrant, my lack of formal education in painting brought endless difficulties. For instance, I didn’t know the purpose of different brush shapes or which mediums were suitable for oil painting. Through numerous failed attempts, seeking advice from artist friends, and searching on YouTube, I gradually learned about the materials involved. These efforts greatly enhanced my understanding of painting fundamentals and introduced an experimental aspect to my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been told that my style stands out from others. This might be due to my limited formal education, as well as the influence of artists I admire. For instance, I’m captivated by the line work of Egon Schiele and the German Expressionists. Their approach departs from classical, precise tracing—using angular lines and varying line weights to highlight the true essence of their subjects. Similarly, I aim to express the inner nature of the objects I create. I’m especially fascinated by people and often produce many figure drawings.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I played with my siblings at home with books. Even before I went to elementary school, we had lots of books with colorful pictures and sturdy covers, strong enough for us to build a small home out of them. My siblings and I would gather all our favorite books together, stacking them to create walls and a cozy roof, then sit inside our little book house for hours. I loved exploring the different styles of artwork found in each book and reading their stories, each one opening up a new world while I sat in the house made of books. This time spent with my siblings and our book house not only strengthened our bond but also gave me a strong foundation for my imagination and a lasting joy for art and creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://youngkimart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youngk_painting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550324987943
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/young-kim-19305133a/
