A Language of Play, Presence, and Becoming
Herry Kim’s practice unfolds at the intersection of digital culture, spiritual inquiry, and a deeply personal sense of play, forming a body of work that feels both intimate and expansive. Based between Seoul and Los Angeles, she moves fluidly across cultural and conceptual boundaries, shaping a visual language informed by her education in painting and sculpture at Seoul National University and her further studies in Art and Technology at CalArts. Her work reflects a sustained engagement with online environments such as chat platforms, games, and virtual communities, where identity is not fixed but continually reimagined. This fascination with avatars and constructed selves does not remain abstract but becomes a central force that informs how she builds her imagery and characters.
Her early artistic ambitions were rooted firmly in painting, yet her encounter with sculpture introduced a productive tension that would later define her sensibility. Struggling with installation work created a sense of discomfort that she did not avoid but instead absorbed into her thinking. This engagement with what feels awkward or unresolved became a generative force, shaping how she approaches form, imperfection, and emotional nuance. Over time, she expanded her practice to include video and collaborative projects with choreographers, programmers, engineers, and musicians, allowing her to experience art-making as something relational and dynamic rather than solitary.
Despite these explorations, she ultimately returned to painting and sculpture with a renewed perspective, carrying forward the lessons gathered from each medium. Her long-standing interest in dolls such as Blythe, Pullip, and ball-jointed dolls further enriches her approach, offering a lens through which the human figure can be stylized, distorted, and reimagined. Alongside this, a spiritual undercurrent runs quietly through her work, influenced by a Buddhist idea that everything without exception can be seen as a flower. This concept does not announce itself loudly but instead shapes the atmosphere of her work, encouraging a gentle attentiveness to existence and form.
Herry Kim: The Turning Point That Reignited Painting
A defining moment in Herry Kim’s artistic trajectory arrived during a period of uncertainty following her MFA, when practical challenges such as visa issues in the United States disrupted her sense of direction. Working as an auction clerk at Santa Monica Auctions, she found herself distanced from her creative ambitions, navigating a space where art was present yet not personally expressive. This period could have marked a prolonged pause, yet it instead became the setting for a pivotal rediscovery. A visit to the Norton Simon Museum transformed her outlook when she encountered the paintings of Les Nabis, whose use of color and emotional resonance sparked something immediate and undeniable.
The experience was not gradual or analytical but instinctive. She left the museum with a renewed sense of clarity, went directly to purchase materials, and began painting again without hesitation. That moment continues to function as a foundation for her current practice, reminding her of the emotional core that first drew her to art. While her earlier work often leaned toward realism and darker thematic concerns, her focus has shifted toward creating warmth and comfort, aiming to reconstruct emotional environments that feel safe, inviting, and quietly joyful.
This shift is closely tied to her memories of online spaces such as IMVU, where she spent time inhabiting virtual environments with friends in imagined settings like treehouses. Although those connections have since dispersed, the emotional imprint remains vivid. Her work seeks to recreate that sense of belonging and ease, offering viewers a space that feels both nostalgic and present. Spirituality also plays an increasingly significant role, particularly her engagement with Korean Seon thought and the idea that life resembles a dream. Within this evolving visual universe, a recurring smiling figure named Smile appears, functioning as a gentle guide within the world she constructs.
Material Encounters and the Meaning of Making
Influence for Herry Kim extends beyond specific artists or movements, drawing instead from a wide spectrum of experiences and sensibilities that share a certain intensity of presence. While she acknowledges admiration for various creators, what resonates most strongly is their attitude and persistence, particularly those who have forged paths through seemingly insurmountable challenges. This admiration is not confined to visual art but reaches into music, dance, and intellectual traditions, reflecting her openness to forms of expression that carry emotional and spiritual weight across disciplines.
Music by artists such as Nujabes and Kenichiro Nishihara holds particular significance for her, offering what she describes as a kind of spiritual light conveyed through rhythm and tone. This sensibility parallels what she seeks in visual work, where atmosphere and emotional resonance often take precedence over formal categorization. Dance, with its fluidity and embodied expression, also informs her understanding of movement and presence, reinforcing her interest in art as something that exists beyond static representation. Religious texts and philosophical ideas further enrich this perspective, contributing to a layered approach that blends introspection with sensory experience.
Equally important are the formative experiences of growing up within digital 3D environments, where imagination and interaction created a sense of freedom that continues to inform her artistic vision. These early encounters with virtual spaces fostered an understanding of identity as something flexible and performative, a concept that remains central to her work. Rather than treating these influences as separate threads, she weaves them into a cohesive practice that emphasizes feeling, connection, and the transformative potential of creative expression.
Herry Kim: Nana and the Intimacy of Creation
Among the many works she has created, a ball-jointed doll named Nana stands out as particularly meaningful, encapsulating both her technical exploration and emotional investment. Crafted from stone clay, the piece reflects her long-standing fascination with dolls and the ways in which artists reinterpret the human form through stylization and distortion. The name Nana, which translates to “me, me” in Korean, signals a deeply personal connection, positioning the work as both an object and a reflection of identity. This connection is further intensified by the fact that her first doll, also named Nana and created during her college years, was lost during her move from the United States back to Korea.
Her admiration for the work of Hans Bellmer inspired her desire to create her own version of a ball-jointed doll, leading her to study under Korean doll artist Dong-ah Lim. The process of constructing the doll involved not only technical learning but also a tactile engagement with materials that differed significantly from painting. At one point, an accidental cut caused her blood to be absorbed into the clay, introducing an unexpected and visceral element into the work. This moment underscored the physical immediacy of sculpture, where the boundary between artist and material can become unexpectedly porous.
The finished piece incorporates mohair for the wig and wooden spheres for the joints, demonstrating a thoughtful combination of materials that enhance both its visual and structural qualities. The clay was not fired, resulting in a fragile object that required patience and care over the six months it took to complete. Assistance from her teacher in creating a costume with a faux marble texture added another layer of collaboration and craftsmanship. Alongside this work, her daily practice remains grounded in simplicity, shaped by routines that include calligraphy, studio time, and quiet reflection. Looking ahead, she is preparing for a solo exhibition at Artifact Projects in New York scheduled for May 2027, while also expressing a desire to expand her presence in Japan and continue building connections across cultural contexts.
