Check Out Justin N. Kim’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin N. Kim. 

Hi Justin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi Voyage LA, my name is Justin N. Kim and I paint contemporary abstracts and map paintings with my palette knife. I was introduced to drawing as an extracurricular activity in Korea. Which I continued to do even after my family moved to the States in the year 2000. I kept drawing and I got really good at it and thought I would draw for a living. It was in college when I was introduced to painting. This encounter changed my life. I was dealing with not only new material and rules but also color. It was challenging but I was fascinated by oil paint. Then I saw an abstract painting in a tv show called Mad Men and that opened doors for my painting trajectory. I enjoyed exploring the unknown and creating something out of nothing, but I didn’t enjoy the brushstrokes and the hand in the paintings. One night in an empty classroom, I found a palette knife that was left behind and started to use that as my main painting device. I really enjoyed the smooth paint that’s applied rather than paint that’s painted on with brushstrokes. I tried to master clean lines and my application, which took a lot of work. But I was getting good at it. Then I discovered tape and how taping provided a clean look, this neat look that I was going for, and allowed me to save a lot of time working. This combination has been my preferred choice since then. I continue to make work this way and I will probably keep doing it this way. 

I graduated college and university and got my way into a grad school in Northridge in 2015. While working three part-time jobs and a few odd gigs, I dedicated my time and focus to develop and grow my work. I graduated in 2018 and got a job as an art handler while I was installing my thesis show. I kept working for almost 2 years until covid got me laid off. Which was an interesting turn of events for me and my painting career, which was nonexistent until that point. During my working days, I would continue to find and make time to paint but it was very slow going and I wasn’t looking to get into exhibitions and selling my work and networking, etc. So, when I was laid off, I thought it was a Godsend opportunity for me to get my practice going and see if I can try to make a living off making and selling my work. I continue to learn things on a daily basis and it’s a constant battle that brings on challenges for me to grow and be a better person and a better painter. I enjoy all of it; the pain, the joy, and the ongoing process of growth. I’m really grateful to God, to my parents and my wife, and my collectors for helping me to be here and showing me and my work some love and support. I really enjoy making connections with new friends and collectors along the way as I continue making new work and I look forward to keeping my practice going. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Well, I started to focus on getting my work seen more and finding them homes to go to, wherever that may be which can be an ongoing challenge. The separation with the work is always difficult for me but still, it’s more energizing to see my work going out into the world and getting the love they need and deserve. Also, the more new collectors from all over the world come to collect my work, it’s letting me know that my work is providing some people with some happiness, and I feel good about that. Another challenge is getting my work seen in exhibition spaces, whether a group or a solo exhibition, the road is not always paved smoothly, and making new connections with other people takes time just to get my foot in the door. You can say it can be a tough load for one person to carry because being a full-time artist is being a solopreneur and being a maker at the same time.  You have to conduct business- such as leads and converting and doing the numbers, but you still have to make the work too. Which I didn’t fully know and experience until I was doing it more and more so it’s a full-time career. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work varies in appearance because I work in multiple series of work at the same time. Still, I believe they are all coming from the same source, which is people, connection, and interconnection. I work in hard-edge abstract style using rolls and rolls of masking tape and multiple blades to screed the oil paint to apply paint onto the surface. I don’t work with brushes to paint because I didn’t get into seeing the brushstrokes when I was learning to paint. I’ve come to appreciate seeing the brushstrokes in paintings, but I still don’t use them because I prefer the smoothly painted painting and the process is very soothing and fits well with my personality. There are definitely moments where I am hindered by my own process, but I enjoy the challenges even to this day, they keep me grounded. They also remind me that you can’t create something without having a dark side or without going through some obstacles to get there. I keep replaying this saying that somebody said in grad school “you can’t spell painting without pain.” 

In terms of what I am known for, I believe my work is different from other paintings that are seen today. Just because of the simple repetitive nature that my work requires and demands. I believe that sets my work apart by being different and unique. It’s not revolutionary but it’s a lot of repetition of the same thing over and over to make the work. I believe the viewers can see and experience the process that went into making the work and come to appreciate the uniqueness of my work. With that said, I believe the “Bigger Than Myself” and “Map” paintings are more widely known as my work. Bigger than Myself paintings look like colorful quilts comprised of layers and layers of lines and the Map paintings look more like simplified maps. 

Alright, so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love to collaborate with people and my inbox is always open on Instagram and my email. I always appreciate collectors who reach out to me, and we work together on various commission pieces. It’s intimate and energizing to start and see the projects through to the end and see the clients love the work that was created for them. I welcome new challenges and am waiting to hear from you or any person who appreciates and values beauty and good hard work. To quote a saying “the reward for good work is more work” I intend to keep performing to my best abilities as long and as much as I can. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jnkim.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.nkim/
• Youtube: @j_nkim