Hani Kim

Hani Kim is GlogauAIR resident
from January, 2025 to March, 2025

Hani Kim is a South Korean artist based in Berlin whose work explores introspection and psychological complexity. Drawing from her experiences living in multiple cities, she captures the interplay between her subconscious and external reality. Her art balances instinct and control, reflecting the tension between chaos and order, the conscious and the subconscious.

Meet the Artist

Statement

Hani Kim is an artist from South Korea, currently living and working in Berlin. Over the past 12 years, she has spent about a third of her life in Seoul, Bern, Milan, and London. Her experiences living in diverse cities have enriched her perspective but also introduced a sense of mental confusion, influenced by the blend of Eastern and Western cultural elements. This inner dialogue is reflected in her art through themes of introspection and psychological complexity. Her work captures the interplay between her inner thoughts and feelings, shaped by both the chaos of her subconscious and the external world.

The dynamic interplay between instinct and control lies at the heart of her work, where natural forms evolve and transform into deliberate compositions. By allowing spontaneity to guide the initial stages of her work, she taps into the raw, unfiltered energy of the moment. However, as the work evolves, she introduces layers of control, refining and shaping the forms to reflect deeper meanings. This balance between the instinctive and the deliberate is central to her practice, reflecting the complexities of life itself, where we are often caught between chaos and order, the conscious and the subconscious.

Hani Kim

Instagram

GlogauAIR Project

At times, I have found myself struggling against the darker side of my being, which tried to control me and pull me into the depths of shadow. Living far from family and navigating life in unfamiliar spaces, I often felt overwhelmed by emotions that I hadn’t fully recognized or addressed. These experiences, marked by alienation, cultural misunderstanding, and homesickness, have sometimes eroded my confidence and left me frustrated. Yet, I choose not to escape these feelings but to confront them, exploring their depths and transforming them into art.

This new project, titled “Innerscape” arises from the suffocating intensity of these inner storms. I seek to transmute chaotic emotions into concrete forms on canvas to share my struggles and vulnerabilities in the hope of creating connections with viewers. Working primarily with oil and acrylic, I am also open to experimenting with new materials and textures to better capture the nuances of these emotions. Through research on colors and symbols, I hope to combine visual forms that evoke deeper emotional resonance with the audience.

Additionally, I would like to introduce music and light—mediums I have yet to explore—into the project as auxiliary elements, creating an immersive atmosphere. These tools are intended to serve as subtle yet important devices, helping to better convey the emotional landscapes I wish to express and inviting viewers to imagine and connect with those feelings.

Ultimately, my goal is to spark a dialogue about our hidden struggles, turning personal battles into shared reflections that promote empathy and understanding.

CV Summary