Luna Kim

The image that serves as the starting point of my artwork is often rooted in my past experiences. Although the context of these experiences may be forgotten, the associated sensations remain and continue to resonate in my body. My aim is to capture and express these sensations and images that arise from my recollections. My senses are informed by a history of repeated traumatic incidents, and the fear that remains with me from these experiences is unpredictable and uncontrollable. The images that arise are often related to the destruction of the body, and I seek to ease my anxiety by transcribing them onto the canvas.

However, the initial image that guides my work inevitably transforms as I react to the drawing process with my eyes, hands, and body. While the final image may bear some resemblance to the original image, it is nevertheless unique due to the passage of time and the act of painting itself. For instance, if my initial image was of a sprawled body at the scene of a traffic accident that never occurred, the painting may capture the shock and pain I would have experienced had the incident taken place, expressed through nervous scratches and other movements. At times, such actions alone may be insufficient to convey the intended meaning. Thus, I turn to larger canvases, which allow me to use a longer brush and make broader, more sweeping movements. In this way, the painting process itself becomes a means of revealing and expressing the sensations and emotions that are contained within my body.

As a painter, I am constantly attuned to the sensory experiences of the painting and use these sensations to inform my brushstrokes and color choices. These sensations, however, may differ from my initial recollections and may be informed by my present circumstances. This is inevitable, as the act of painting itself can evoke new emotions and experiences that I had not anticipated. Moreover, human memory is finite, and the images that inspire me today may not hold the same significance tomorrow. As such, my fears and the ways in which I choose to express them may change over time. With so much that remains unknown, I feel a sense of urgency to continue painting in order to capture and express the images that come to me now, before they are lost to the passage of time.