Kantor Gallery is pleased to present a new solo exhibition by Brooklyn based artist Sarah Kim. The show will be on view at the gallery from March 17 – April 8, 2022.

Sarah’s work deploys a universe that is at once abundant and falsely idyllic, biting and eminently longing. Each painting begins by deconstructing old clothing (hers and her friends’) and reconstructing an entirely unique canvas akin to a tapestry. The materials come to Sarah embedded with memories of the previous wearers, which she then breaks through to create something new: three-dimension compositions made of seams, zippers, and pleats with layers of paint. The paintings are not proceeded by preliminary drawings but are instead a direct reaction to the material at hand, as Kim finds inspiration in the familiar senses of color and play, drawing from Mary Heilmann’s vibrant work, the works of Chicago Imagist Roger Brown, and even the melancholy and empty space captured in the films of Wim Wenders.

Roaming hillsides, a neighborhood church and picketed fences illicit the feelings of passing through ones old hometown on a train-ride, but Kim is not stopping. Discerning feelings of loneliness and a sense of not belonging are home in Kim’s landscapes. But in these examinations of childhood, the concept of sanctuary and refuge, Kim is reminded of her unyielding agency as an artist and storyteller.

“As a Nashville born Korean-Canadian-American, I have long felt caught between different worlds, not feeling like I fit in anywhere. The paintings in Miss Universe are an exploration of my internal world I have cultivated in order to remedy this. These paintings are an introduction to the motifs I have developed over the years blending nature, show business, and the circus. Though differing from each other, every painting depicts a unique snapshot of the realm I have created like a still from a movie or a page from a storybook.

Miss Universe is my reclamation of space in the world. It’s my world, the viewers just live in it.” – Sarah Kim, 2022
Sarah Kim (1994) was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She studied in Brooklyn, graduating from the Pratt Institute in 2016. With a forthcoming solo show at Gana Art, Seoul, Kim has most recently exhibited work at Half Gallery, New York, Marvin Gardens, Brooklyn, Stanley’s Gallery, Los Angeles and Smart Objects, Landers.

“Miss Universe” is on view from March 17 – April 8, 2022. For any inquiries or book an appointment to view the exhibition, please contact [email protected]