Article written by Mort Landesman.
Ari Kim’s journey as an artist and filmmaker is as layered and intricate as the stories she tells through her work. From a young age, art was more than just an outlet—it was a language. She recalls sketching on every available surface, from scraps of paper to the very walls of her childhood home. Instead of scolding her, her mother encouraged this early artistic exploration, helping Ari see art as a means of self-expression rather than just a pastime.
Although painting was her first love, filmmaking came later, almost by accident. Moving to New York to attend NYU, Ari found herself immersed in a creative world where visual storytelling was celebrated in multiple forms. Surrounded by filmmakers, she became captivated by the way stories could unfold over time, combining imagery, sound, and movement. Working on sets and collaborating with other creatives, she realized that filmmaking allowed her to merge her love of composition and atmosphere with narrative depth.
Her work is a seamless blend of both mediums. Painting informs how she constructs a frame, her use of color, and her attention to detail, while filmmaking has expanded her understanding of storytelling. Whether through a single canvas or a full-length film, she seeks to capture fleeting emotions, forgotten memories, and the quiet beauty in everyday life. Her current show at the Galerie Shibumi runs through March 2, 2025, and is filled with images that are reflective of her life, her experiences and so much more. Perfect for celebrity and non-celebrity homes, there is extravagance in her art that takes us to a place not seen before.
Ari’s artistic evolution has also been shaped by her exploration of identity. For years, she focused on self-portraiture, using ink on wood to understand herself. But after the pandemic, her work took on new themes, incorporating heritage, craftsmanship, and mythology. Her recent fascination with Korean folklore, particularly the protective symbolism of the tiger, has deepened her connection to her cultural roots. She vividly remembers the tiger motif that adorned her grandfather’s door—an image that has stayed with her and now influences her visual storytelling.
Her refined aesthetic and cinematic eye have led her to collaborate with high-profile figures in the entertainment industry. As a filmmaker, she has worked with celebrities, translating their presence into visually striking narratives that go beyond the surface. This experience has shaped her approach to art, reinforcing her ability to see beauty in movement, expression, and the nuances of a moment. Her paintings reflect this sensibility—each brushstroke carries the same intention as a carefully composed film frame, capturing raw emotion and visual poetry.
Ari approaches every project, whether a painting or a film, with the same meticulous process. It often begins with a feeling, a memory, or a detail that lingers in her mind. She collects fragments—textures, conversations, melodies—building them into a cohesive vision. If it’s a film, she creates detailed mood boards, storyboards, and lighting tests to establish the visual language. If it’s a painting, she considers how composition, space, and light interact to evoke emotion. Despite the careful planning, she leaves room for spontaneity, knowing that some of the most powerful moments emerge unexpectedly.
One of her greatest challenges has been transitioning from the solitary nature of painting to the collaborative process of filmmaking. Initially, she struggled with relinquishing control, wanting to oversee every detail. But through working with talented teams, she learned to embrace the unpredictable nature of film production. This shift in perspective has not only strengthened her storytelling but also influenced how she approaches painting—considering not just the static image but how it interacts with time, space, and the viewer’s experience.
Her work is deeply personal, yet universally resonant. She gravitates toward stories of memory, identity, and displacement, themes that reflect both individual experiences and broader cultural narratives. Whether capturing the essence of a place or the emotion of a moment, Ari’s art and films are imbued with a sense of history and connection.
As she continues to push the boundaries of her artistic practice, she remains open to new technologies and platforms that can expand the way people experience her work. In thinking more about her current show, “Mae-Deup,” was very obviously designed with audience engagement in mind—she carefully considered how each piece would be viewed, how the lighting would shift throughout the day, and how the space itself would influence perception. Similarly, in her filmmaking, she thinks about how a story is experienced on different screens, whether in a theater or an immersive installation.
Ari Kim is not just an artist or a filmmaker—she is a storyteller with an unerring eye for beauty, composition, and meaning. Whether she’s working with a celebrity on a film set or creating a deeply personal painting, her goal remains the same: to evoke emotion, provoke thought, and capture the fleeting magic of the world around her.