Check out Christine Han’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Han.

Christine, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
When my mom was pregnant with me she took art classes. We joke that was when my life in art began. I was born in South Korea, moved to California, then Nevada went to undergrad at Reed in Oregon, graduate school at SAIC in Illinois, and most recently relocated back to California.

My parents supported my love of art, and though I studied another subject in undergrad, I returned to focusing on painting soon after. At SAIC I was forced to challenge each of my actions, to consider the numerous voices with mostly opposing opinions, and to reason and accept my decisions. Having my own studio was great, too.

Currently, I work as a librarian at a K-8 school and paint at home. I was lucky and LA has a community of SAIC alumni who are wonderful artists. Even though moving across the country, finding homes and jobs hasn’t been easy for any one of us, I find that having a shared experience has been encouraging.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
There was always a question of where I belong. I struggled with my identity as a Korean-American and the specificity of genders. I studied Cultural Anthropology while searching for connections between people. I continued to muddle through making art in an effort to express something that mattered, though really it was just because I loved the act of painting. At SAIC, where I received a post-baccalaureate degree and my masters, I questioned whether loving painting was enough to keep doing it, and through the doubt and erratic declarations of my artist identity, I explored my environment.

I painted where I lived and I painted where I painted. The frantic need to find myself in 3 years made me reach for comfort and stability. I then began my current work of vents, blinds, windows, and interior surfaces, which has helped me negotiate the transitioning worlds where the warmth of the known and the unease of the unknown collide into uncertainty. Though I have tried and continue to enjoy using various materials, my current and long-term love has been oil paint. I paint on mostly canvas but sometimes paper, taking care to prep a smooth surface so that each stroke can glide.

It has become incredibly important for each part to have its moment in becoming a single piece of work, from planning to prepping to putting paint on the canvas. I draw outlines using a ruler and paint with the lines as my guide so that each minuscule wobble and twitch of my hand becomes visible at close inspection. Though the work may seem calculated and cold at first glance, I hope that you see the humanness as you look. I hope that as you look you recognize the in-between worlds we all share.

The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
One of the best things about art today is that there are so many places and events you can access for free. Being able to be a part of conversations, a community, and to find that support is very important. I try to keep in mind that making art is a continuous and creative effort where success isn’t measured by the quantity of work. Sometimes you are able to knock out a painting in no time and sometimes you’re lucky if you can do one in a month. Your circumstances make your work authentic to you. I hope that everyone can find their space to make art.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I tend to be most up to date on my work on my Instagram, though you can also check out my work on my website.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://christinegaram8.wixsite.com/artist
• Email: christine.garam@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gramkrackerhan/

Image Credit:
Jacob Melchi

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