Minhee Kim
Painting the grey area between humans and technology
“Mind control, ceaseless efforts and sensitivity is the key to making art for me.”
Minhee Kim is nostalgic for the futurism of the ‘80s. Her works are largely monochromatic, with subtle nods to the cyberpunk aesthetic of films like cult classic Akira (1988). Her work Crystal Eyes (2022) is painted in blue-grey tones, and various shades of pink and purple make up the character of MACKENZIE (2022). She cites contemporary artists Frederik Heymen and Yein Lee as artistic inspirations. Like them, Kim’s work explores the connection between humans and technology but in two-dimensions rather than sculpture. This idea is pushed to the limit, referencing 80s fascination with cyborgs,...
Minhee Kim is nostalgic for the futurism of the ‘80s. Her works are largely monochromatic, with subtle nods to the cyberpunk aesthetic of films like cult classic Akira (1988). Her work Crystal Eyes (2022) is painted in blue-grey tones, and various shades of pink and purple make up the character of MACKENZIE (2022). She cites contemporary artists Frederik Heymen and Yein Lee as artistic inspirations. Like them, Kim’s work explores the connection between humans and technology but in two-dimensions rather than sculpture. This idea is pushed to the limit, referencing 80s fascination with cyborgs, and the current obsession with the metaverse.
Kim wants to challenge stereotypes of East Asian women in art. She plucks her female characters from anime, manga, and video games that she loves. At art school, she learned the technical aspects of video game art, so has a holistic understanding of how it is both created and consumed. However, she is more interested in the way that these media influence the global perceptions of East Asian women. These stereotypes are often quite one-dimensional. Kim wants to “share that each and every individual has their own story”. Kim wants to remind the world that real human women aren’t video games.
Minhee Kim (she/her) was born 1991 in South Korea, where she continues to live and work.
When we spoke to Kim she said that, if she wasn’t an artist, she would love to be a games designer or a musician.
Each morning when Kim arrives in the studio, the first thing she does is clean and tidy the space. Only once there is order, can she start sketching and painting her canvases.
