Artist
Betty Kim
Betty Kim is an Illustrator & Animator who explores the narratives and stories of people; dealing with themes such as identity and human psychology through animations and illustrations. She likes to portray a sense of rawness and honesty in her work by conveying emotions through the use of colour and capturing a sense of movement through mark-making and rough pencil-like brush strokes.
Hyangsu “향수” 2, 2021, 2 mins, Animated video
In this 2 minute animation, Betty provides a brief visual insight into her attempts in digesting the complex ‘roots’ of her Korean identity as a second generation British-Korean diaspora. The animation is based on a 40 minute conversation between Betty and her best friend where they talk about their thoughts and experiences of: what it means to be ‘Korean’ and ‘British’, the idea of ‘home’, feelings of in-betweenness and wayfaring, how learning the Korean language provided a sense of connection to their heritage, what it feels like to live with the cultural differences between the two countries and how these experiences and concepts intertwine and manifest within to create a growing sense of acceptance and affinity towards her complex cultural identity.
Relationships: Lovers in the making, 2022
300 x 300 x 10 mm
White honeycomb cardboard
Relationships: Mother and son, 2022
300 x 300 x 18 mm
Premium birch plywood
Relationships: Past lovers, 2022
300 x 300 x 3 mm
Brushed aluminium
Relationships: Teacher and student, 2022
290 x 290 x 3 mm
Inkjet printing on card and paper
Using the faces of characters in films and dramas, this series aims to portray the emotional complexities of relationships that one encounters in day to day life: mother and son, lovers in the making, lovers drifting apart and teacher and student. With each piece acting as a window to the stories of the chosen characters, each in their own complex cultural or historical narrative contexts, the pieces are in essence, a collective expression capturing moments of hope and emotional connection between two people. As the paintings are projected on different surfaces and textures, we can experience an added layer of expression to these moments.