Bio:

Bella Kim was born in Seoul, Korea.  She studied art at Ewha University achieving a master’s degree in fiber art in Korea. She was a member of Chaeyum Hoe, which was a group of fiber artists, and did annual group exhibits for 15 years.  Until she moved to the US in 1999, she taught fabric dyeing at colleges.  Immigrating to a new country forced her to learn a new language and culture. As she worked as a painter in an antique repair store, she kept the string of hope that she would continue to develop her own art.

After several years of the silent period since her immigration, she gradually opened the next chapter of her art life. As she settled down in Gig Harbor, WA in 2008, and joined KAAW (Korean American Artist Association of Washington), she wanted to discover the community and share her story through exhibitions. She is also happy to show people an unexpected medium transformed into a meaningful art piece. She has also had annual KAAW exhibits in various venues in WA, and she was selected in juried exhibitions and awards at Kirkland Art Center, Schack Art Center, Columbia City Gallery, and Bainbridge Island Arts & Crafts Gallery. She experiments with various art pieces, from bow ties, and pins to Installations. Refashion exhibition was one of her passions. She is also very proud of herself for the installation artwork at Art on Main in Auburn. Finally, her experience encouraged her to apply for the Beacon window proposal at BIMA. Her 20 feet installation will be viewed by the public in 2024.

In 2023, she has a busier year for her exhibitions, BIMA Spotlight Show, International 'Bojagi Journey 2023', Childhood’s End ‘Collage Art’ Olympia, Art Explosion PAEC at Federal way, and KAAW member show for Celebrating 70th Anniversary of ROK-U.S. Alliance, Schack Art Center and. Lately, she has supported KAAW as a board member. She participates as a member artist of BAC, and a member of NWDC (Northwest Designer Craft artists). Her current focus is on recycled art, which she believes is a way for artists to participate in social movements in saving the earth from climate change and leaving a livable environment for the next generations.

Artist Statement:

I have been experimenting with recycled materials for my art. This is related to my habits and memories from my childhood. I grew up watching women in my family busy sewing, mending, and bedding, so I naturally learned machine sewing. Because supplies were scarce at that time, I had to use recyclable materials, and the neck of worn socks was good stuff for the Barbie dolls’ skirts, which were my first recyclable artwork.

Now, 50 years later, the world is faced with the need to save the planet from human-caused global warming. As an artist, I want to be part of that movement and reduce the consumption of energy and resources while doing my creative activities.  In my surroundings, it is easy to find leftovers and packages of food or merchandise that are going to be thrown away. As I see their colors and textures as unique, special, and still gorgeous, I collect these plastics every day and prepare them for transformation, then I cut, wash, and dry them. Those pieces are in various sizes and colors. I regroup them based on colors and textures, then sew and patch them to create the whole artwork.

I love to see the harmony of small and insignificant patches, which blend so well together, often making patterns, textures, and unexpected effects such as transparency, shadows, and even 3-dimensional structures. Most of my work is expressed in the composition of lines and planes. I am inspired by Korean traditional and western abstract art. My creativity is often sparked by my imagination from nature, and the world around me. This transformation of useless materials into meaningful results gives me endless joy and I hope that people would also appreciate how ordinary materials can be used for art.