ESTHER DOYEON KIM
VISUAL
ARTIST
BASED IN TORONTO
Esther Kim is a South Korean Canadian raised in Vancouver and currently a Toronto-based artist. She majored in a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University (Ontario College of Art and Design University). Kim recently received The Power Plant Emerging Artist Award at Toronto Art Fair in 2022 and The Best of Painting Award at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair in 2021.
Kim's work delivers a sense of happiness in the form of appreciation for tedious moments in life. Kim's work begins with recognizing and recollecting ordinary yet precious pieces of life within her family. She is determined to celebrate her surrounding environments immersed in nature. Kim's subject matter explores the concept of Biophilia (which directly translates to "a love of life"), an innate human instinct to be connected with nature. Kim seeks to utilize the beauty and solace of nature in her paintings to deliver a sense of joy and comfort.
Kim's art practice is intuitive, schematic, and almost childlike—reminiscing naïve moments for viewers to escape reality's complexity. She explores simple, flat forms to encompass expressive, whimsical, calm, and joyous moments. Kim adds soft colours to bring a sense of tranquility and vibrant colours to deliver energy and power to the simplification and abstraction in her artmaking. She uses various mediums to create whimsical textures and squeezes paints almost like frosting a dessert.
Kim shares her genuine gratitude for life and surrenders contemplation and tension, exploring the idea of family, home, and nature. Her works are an outlet of comfort, an undemanding space of serenity.
Education
awards
2022
The POWER PLANT EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
TOAF61 : Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
2021
BEST OF PAINTING AWARD
Judged by Daniel Faria & Gallerist
TOAF60 : Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
2020
FOURTH YEAR AWARD
ANNE ADLER KAGAN AWARD
OCAD University
2020
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS :
Drawing & Painting
OCAD University
EXHIBITIONS
2022
THE RED HEAD GALLERY
Immersed In Bliss
Group Exhibition | Toronto
TOAF 61 : TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR
Contemporary Outdoor Art Fair | Toronto
CHANCELLOR JAIME WATT'S GALLERY
Creative Resiliance & Resiliant Creativity
Partnership with OCAD U GradEX | Toronto
ARTIST PROJECT
Contemporary Art Fair | Toronto
GALLERY 1313
Winter Emerging Artist Exhibition | Toronto
2021
TOAF60 : TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR
Contemporary Outdoor Art Fair | Toronto
VISIONARY PROJECT
The Era Of Change
Group Exhibition | New York
PARTIAL SHOWCASE & RBC CENTRE
Emerging Artists & Designers | Toronto
OCAD UNIVERSITY EXHIBITION
Narratives Through Digital Space
Online Exhibition | Toronto
PROPELLER ART GALLERY
2020 Drawing and Painting, Grad EX 105 Show
Graduation Exhibition | Toronto
2020
ADA SLAIGHT GALLERY
Festival of the Body
OCADU Exhibition | Toronto
2019
OCAD UNIVERSITY EXHIBITION
Pop Down
Group Exhibition | Toronto
accomplishments
2022
THE POWER PLANT CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
One-Year Artist Membership
&TPP Publications Opportunity | Toronto
TOAF 61:TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR
Featured and Published in Curated Collection
"Honest! COLOURFUL! Personal! LOOSE!"
Curated by Tiffany Pratt | Toronto
TOAF 61:TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR
Featured and Published in Curated Collection
"Still, In Isolation"
Curated by Hangama Amir | Toronto
2021
COLLECTIVE ARTS & OCAD UNIVERSITY
Beer Package Label selected as Special Edition Series "Pursuing Happiness” | Toronto
TOAF60 : TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR
Featured and Published in Curated Collection
“Visual Voices” Curated by Alex Garant | Toronto
2020
AKIN STUDIO CAREER LAUNCHER
& PARTIAL GALLERY
Selected as a Recipient of Partial Gallery
Membership | Toronto