We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberlee Koym-Murteira. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberlee below.

Kimberlee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

My process of becoming an artist grew out of my intense love to be creative. In Highschool,  I found myself drawn to the theater, immersing myself in its world. During the rest of my time I  drew colorful pastels. Being able to create served as a cathartic outlet, allowed me to release and process my emotions in a positive way. My artistic fuel has always burned fiercely within me, and that flame only grew brighter as I pursued a degree in theater design during my undergraduate years. It was during this time that my artistic ambitions began to take shape. I was fortunate to land my first job at a theater company, where I painted scenery. I’m grateful for this background where I was  immersed in a collaborative and ever-evolving milieu. Witnessing the pursuit of struggling young artists, as they navigate the labyrinthine path to earning a livelihood and honing their craft, I am acutely aware of the fortune that has graced my own journey.

Growing up on my family’s land near Austin, Texas, I developed a profound appreciation for nature and a strong aspiration to promote harmony. A troubled childhood made me crave the rhythm of walking in the pasture, cooking with my grandma, and making anything from doll clothes to art projects. Daily rituals became a source of strength and inspiration for me. Coming from a family with fragmented contrasting backgrounds — my father served with the Peace Corps while my mother is devoutly religious and an enthusiastic supporter of Trump — it was against the backdrop of extreme conservatism in Texas that my own beliefs took shape.  Amidst the contrast, fragmentation, and tension, my passion burned bright.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I call my art studio Embodied in the Making. I have always used my body as a basis for artistic creation from painting works larger than me to using my hands to create abstract video imagery. I reject the notion that knowledge is confined within the mind, recognizing that certain thoughts and discoveries can only be uncovered through a profound connection with the body. Physical activities have the power to forge deep connections – not just with our bodies but also with the natural world and others. 

Eco-therapy promotes tranquility in nature and helps us reconnect with ourselves. One of my current artistic practices is to take Participants into nature to film themselves in a setting of their choice. The opportunity provides participants with a chance to connect into their innate sense of untamed spirit, cultivating a sense of freedom and connection. By utilizing 360 photography, 

I am able to capture these profound instances when individuals connect with the environment. These self-portraits serve as a lasting reminder of the freedom and sense of belonging experienced by the participants.

Some inspiring women who also practice embodiment are Adrienne Marree Brown, Alexis Paulene Gumbs, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wombach, Janelle Monae, and Brene Brown. They inspire me to find my own path and voice in liberating myself and others. I strive to be honest, embodied, and empowered. I also value having a sense of fun and playfulness, that shines through in the Images I have included here from my latest series.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I am gathering resources and participants for my current project Sharing Stories: Recasting Queer Bodies. It aims to prioritize self-care for queer women & non-binary folx. Feeling secure and comfortable in your body is a privilege that not everyone has. My project aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for queer and non-binary individuals to share their stories while creating sculptures of their bodies using plaster bandages. The body cast creates a permanent shape of the time that is left behind in order to move on. The work serves as an act of caring for and tending to each other’s bodies. As a queer artist mother, I embrace a multifaceted sense of self – both as a caregiver and as someone who challenges restrictive ideologies.

I love seeing the queer and trans community redefining role models and stereotypes. We all have masculine and feminine qualities. The more people get to define themselves on their own terms by embracing and cherishing their body as their own unique precious home for life. The better we can create a society that is truly inclusive and accepting. Enabling us to be able more to address and engage the problems of our times with aligned and emergent solutions.  

I embarked on Sharing Stories:Recasting Queer Bodies by having a trans woman and a cisgender woman create casts of their legs while sharing their childhood experiences of injuring their ankle. Interestingly, we noticed that the casts did not exhibit any indications of different genders. In fact, the cast seemed to belong to the same person. Another participant opted to create a cast of their chest, contemplating whether or not to undergo top surgery. This project explores various aspects of the body, including sexuality, as well as layers of history, emotion, subtlety, complexity, trauma, and beauty.

The body cast preserves the participant’s shape, allowing them to emerge transformed. All participants will remain anonymous unless they choose to disclose their identity or have their image featured in photographs or videos. If you are interested in participating in or supporting this project, please reach out to Kimberlee on Instagram @kimberleekm, sign up for my mailing list on website at https://kimberleekm.com/

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, beauty, art, and freedom are intricately intertwined. Art serves as a form of creative expression and creation. By offering practices and avenues to bring people together in community. I contribute to the beauty that exists in the world via sharing and connection, which are far more important to me than mere aesthetics.

My personal practices of self-expression through art, which originated during my childhood, have helped me transcend trauma and embrace creativity, expansiveness, and freedom. I yearn for and revel in a feeling of freedom as I solve creative puzzles. Currently, I also find this expanse in my dance practice, where I create more room within myself for vitality. It involves both physical and mental aspects – expanding my chest to allow more air in, which simultaneously releases any limitations from my mind, enabling it to move freely. 

My authentic and caring art practice of investing in others claiming of themselves and wild expanse grows out of my love of genuine revelry and community. Moving forward, I will continue to prioritize healing and realignment for queer communities. For women’s equity and expansion. Furthermore, I will persistently question how we can remain present in a world that often challenges our sense of belonging.  

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kimberleekm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberleekm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberleeKM
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberleekoym/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberleekm
• Other: https://vimeo.com/kimberleekm

Image Credits
Kimberlee Koym-Murteira