Statement

Luna Kim

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From 2019 to 2021, my artistic journey was deeply intertwined with my response to anxiety. During this time, I noticed a recurring theme in my paintings: the prominence of body traces on the canvas. Anxiety, for me, manifested as repetitive thoughts and physical symptoms, and I sought to capture these sensations through my art. In 2019, I embarked on a series of paintings aimed at depicting the distorted body image that often plagued me during anxious moments. Using the canvas as a medium, I translated the movements I felt within my own body onto the surface, resulting in distorted representations. Surprisingly, these distorted images felt closer to reality, drawing me in with their tactile and material qualities.

However, as my mental and physical symptoms began to ease in 2020, I found that the process of recreating these body images started to trigger anxiety rather than alleviate it. What was once a means of distancing myself from my emotions now seemed to intensify them. Consequently, I shifted my focus towards capturing gestures rather than depicting conceptual forms or compositions. Emphasizing gesture in my drawing process became a therapeutic outlet, allowing me to both reveal and relieve my anxiety. My exploration of gestural traces and their impact on the canvas led me to dig deeper into the relationship between visible brushstrokes and the artist's subjective emotions.

By 2021, my work had evolved to combine the themes of body image reproduction and gesture revelation. Utilizing body images as material to reveal brushstrokes, I infused my paintings with a newfound sense of energy. Experimenting with various materials, I sought to express the pent-up energy within me, resulting in bold brushstrokes, creamy textures, and vibrant colors.

Following a hiatus in 2022, my approach to art took a transformative turn in 2023. Fueled by a surge of positive energy stemming from my experiences exploring nature around the world, my work underwent a significant shift. Landscape became my new muse, allowing me to capture fleeting moments and memories with vivid detail. Each painting became a reflection of my inner journey, oscillating between memories and experiences encountered on my travels.