Psyiko K

Psyiko

Dear the person I cannot tell this to,

My impossible project is based on releasing emotions and working on oneself. During the pandemic I had to job hop three times and was severely struggling with my mental health like never before. I often yearned about when I was in high school, thriving. During high school, I remember during the Q&A session of my Ted Talk (regarding the high school shooting epidemic) when a politically conservative peer attempted to trip me up in my own words to make me look stupid in front of the crowd by asking “But what can we as high school students do to stop the high school shootings? Isn’t it too big of a problem for us to solve?” and I replied “Do you know all of your classmates in every class? I don’t, and that in itself is the problem. You may not like everyone if you know everyone but at least we usually have the human decency to not shoot a mutual classmate you know in person. We must stop being indifferent and treat each other with kindness as much as possible in my opinion and we can start by getting to know each other and caring.” As I thought about this memory, my proposal for the Impossible Project came to mind. Rather than offering others kindness and getting to know them, my proposal for this project is for people to write a letter to the ones we want to talk to most but cannot or are hesitating to. This letter is not written with the intention of being seen by other people but rather to our subconscious and let these emotions we write go. Personally, I believe the more in touch we are with ourselves the more we are able to offer others. The end goal is to be able to release these emotions and thoughts people have and to find a comfortable yet vulnerable mental space to be honest and discuss with ourselves about what we may want to do with these thoughts. If the ones who wrote the letter would like, they can then hand these letters over to artists who are willing to create visual pieces in exchange for the letter like an art trade.

Artist Statement

Home. This simple word has such a varied definition for everyone. I moved on average every three years of my life. Seeking for solace, seeking for love, I started to create. The pieces I create are meant to simulate what I feel is home to me, what I feel is right. Exploration is a necessary part of my process.

In my pieces I use a variety of materials including but not limited to coffee, acrylic paint, ink, graphite, spray paint, and embroidery. The coffee is oftentimes incorporated into the background as a wash and is highly reactive to water and humid environments which is intended to age with the audience in their home over time. Red is the color that drives me as an artist and is oftentimes the main focal point of my pieces. These pieces are made in hopes that they emit a sense of tranquility in a similar sense to what I feel when strolling through Buddhist temples back in Seoul. Constantly challenging both minimalism and maximalism, my pieces include details that are deeply personal such as stories and mementos I would like to share. One of my works elaborate upon the story “The Little Match Girl” this piece is titled “Sip”. The surrealist piece has a single Chinese/old Korean character which means home at the center of the landscape painting which was painted with red acrylic ink. The piece is on a coffee washed stretched canvas with an embroidered match and gold button detailing.

The most recent series that is in the making is titled “Cognitive Dissonance” and deals with visually exposing my most vulnerable thoughts through paper cutting. Seeking home within the materials paper and scissors goes hand in hand with the passing of time. The repetition within my work is meant to be therapeutic visually as well as during the process and shows asymmetry as well as symmetry representing the balance of emotions.

Artist Bio

Bonnie Kim (Chicago, IL) is an artist, graphic designer, tattoo artist, muralist, and undergraduate student currently attending School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a focus in Drawing. Drawing inspiration from Seoul (South Korea), San Francisco, and Austin, Kim's work can show a multitude of stylistic choices as well as a varied range of materials. Kim's artist alter ego "Psyiko" originated from when Kim would graffiti tag around Seoul, Tokyo, and Hokkaido as a way to cope with the desire to belong. Psyiko creates in hopes that everyone can find their niche and dig deeper into that niche to find happiness regardless of how others may view it. Kim’s newer style is an attempt to mesh minimalist aesthetics with juxtaposing subjects and will be implemented in her upcoming fashion brand.

@psyikoart