We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taerim Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

TAERIM, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Growing with my dad KIM SONG WHAN, a lifetime artist, I was always intrigued by the endless colors and his works in his studio. A number of his artworks surrounded me made me let into an artistic path earlier subconsciously. Influenced by that, I have usually been drawing and painting since I was younger. I used to draw and depict them from animal picture books. Therefore, when I was in middle school, I decided to get into art college and be an artist. I blew my mind that gigantic art worlds, I didn’t expect, showed out after I was accepted in art college.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was raised in a slum in South Korea, a place so impoverished and soon to disappear in our society, where the locals were constantly forced and threatened by today’s society to give up their land and homes. However, this poverty-stricken town where others saw adversity and hardship, was my beloved home and playground; a place where I saw silver lining. To represent, questions, manifest, and re-define our world’s concept of true beauty as well as to console the alienated, stereotyped, and forgotten, my home, along with my devotion to my art, inspired me to paint. Recollecting the humble times when this place once and still to this day meant everything to so many friends and families including myself, I want to portray the beauty of the slum that is fading away by the violence glorified by our society. The complex structures, made with such simple materials and the muted colors of the falling houses, inspired me to draw the desolate fate of the town.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Actually, there is nothing of rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative. At least, if I pick one rewarding aspect, it is just self-satisfaction. The more they move forward, the more they can get their creativity, skills, comprehension and etc. Even though artist-life time is depressed and hard, they deal with it by faith of their art. As a result, in my opinion, being an artist comes with isolation but if you deal with it, great rewards like abilities are waiting for them.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

First of all, thanks to my family, they are alway rooting for me behind the scene. When I feel depressed and have a hard time, I usually think about my family. Also, in college, instructors are so supportive to keep my views of art works. They give me lots of advice and responsibilities. Usually I am lost often as I struggle myself in making art but thanks to my instructors, I am able to make my way to keep working.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: k_taerim_
• Other: email: [email protected]