Doi Kim (b. Seoul, South Korea) is a visual artist based in New York and Seoul. She holds an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts (New York, NY, USA) and a B.A. from the Korea National University of Arts (Seoul, South Korea). In 2017, she studied printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (Czech Republic).  

Her work explores the physical and psychological dimensions of the human condition through a speculative ecosystem conceived based on the anatomical features and biological traits of various organisms. Drawing from anatomy, botany, biology, phenomenology, literature, and sociology, Kim constructs speculative ecosystems using printmaking, painting, animation, and installation. Her practice investigates material imagination and intricate layers of identity, perception, and survival, leading to questions regarding ontological ethics.

Her solo exhibitions include 17717 (Seoul), ChaShaMa Space (New York), and space xx (Seoul). Selected group exhibitions include Temple Contemporary (Philadelphia, PA), Flux Factory (New York, NY), The Arts Center at Governors Island (New York, NY), The BLANC (New York, NY),  Manhattan Graphics Center (New York, NY), Miami International Fine Arts (Miami, FL), Susquehanna Art Museum (Harrisburg, PA), Ethan Cohen KUBE (Beacon, NY), Untitled Art (Miami, FL), De Bouwput (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Rear Window Gallery (Hangzhou, China), and Gallery AVU (Prague, CZ).

Kim is a 2024 NYFA IAP mentee and recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2022 Tripvill International Film Festival. She was also awarded a grant from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture in 2022 and was a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists and Boston Printmakers.

Kim has participated in artist residencies at ChaNorth (Pine Plains, NY), SÍM Residency (Reykjavík, Iceland), Kala Art Institute (Berkeley, CA), AGA LAB (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Centrum (Port Townsend, WA) and  Stove Works (Chattanooga, TN).

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I am a visual artist based between New York and Seoul, South Korea. Originally from Seoul, I received my BFA from the Korea National University of Arts. During my undergraduate studies, I spent a year in Prague, Czech Republic, as an exchange student, where I focused on printmaking and had the privilege of traveling across various countries. In 2019, I moved to New York to pursue my MFA and have been based there ever since.

My artistic journey began in high school, which was located in the heart of Seoul’s artistic district. Being surrounded by galleries, exhibitions, and lectures made art easily accessible and naturally intrigued my curiosity. Around that time, I also participated in art therapy sessions, which made me experience the self-healing function of drawing, deepening my connection to creative expression. Although there have been several moments in which I felt my artistic journey restarted anew, that period marked the start of my journey as an artist.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to create new work?

That is always the most important but challenging. Inspiration always comes to me in a very crude and random form, requiring time and reflection to be elaborated, articulated, and ultimately pronounced through a chosen material. 

Practically speaking, the first thing that came into my mind regarding keeping my motivation is through the great artists I admire. I learn immensely from how they observe, analyze, and reimagine the world perceptively and lucidly, fully engaging with every aspect of their mediums and materials. Continuously reflecting on the work ethic of the artist I aspire to be is always central to my inspiration and motivation.

Are there any particular mediums you prefer working with? Why?

For a significant period, I was captivated by the materiality and insights of printmaking, and it was the medium I most often gravitated toward. I used to say it was my preferred medium; however, I’m currently stepping away from printmaking—at least for now—to explore new directions. Lately, I’ve been working more with painting and animation and have begun experimenting with sculpture. 

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

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the ability to actively pursue and manifest my beliefs and values through my work. Frankly, I do feel a sense of fulfillment when my work is seen and appreciated by others. However, through my experiences working in printmaking workshops in New York and observing lives across different locations during travels and residencies, I’ve seen that artists are among the few creative laborers who can directly and authentically follow their beliefs. 

How does working across cultures impact your creative process?

It had a profound impact on me. Observing how people perceive themselves and act based on shared ideologies and collective consensus has been especially influential since moving to the US. As an artist drawn to material imagination and the architecture of the mind, I’m intrigued to observe how collective mentalities constrain thought and offer a sense of stability. Exploring what this means for one’s personal ontology is central to my practice. Working across cultures is essential to this inquiry—it challenges and enriches my understanding of the self in relation to broader systems of belief.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?

As I continued to navigate opportunities as an early-stage artist, I often struggled with excessive self-censorship, shaped by circumstances that weren’t always supportive of my practice. These limitations sometimes made it difficult to stay true to my vision. The only way I’ve found to move through this is to reaffirm my core beliefs consistently. 

Text & photo courtesy of Doi Kim

Website: https://doikim.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_doikim/