Sumita Kim Gallery

 

Artist Statement

Immigration certainly was a rite of passage for me that marked a physical and cultural transformation of my existence. When I became a United States citizen, I even had an opportunity to name myself anew, and that act of self-naming carried with it a remarkable sense of freedom and self-efficacy.

I welcome everyday struggle and challenges that I encounter in the new land I have adopted, and would like to convey this spirit through my paintings.

Ironically, though, my paintings are reflections of my memories, desires, and emotions that have been embedded within me even from the time before I was born. As I grow older, I seem to be gaining a more acute understanding of how my life is inexorably interwoven with that of my ancestors, and the history and attachments that I carry within my existence.