Artist Statement:

My understanding of the world around me comes most naturally as a visual process, and communicating inconspicuous details seen from up close interests me. Elephants intrigued me because they embody so many cultural ideals from innocent childhood fantasy seen in creations like “Dumbo” to romantic notions of an exotic and enormously powerful other when filmed in the wild. Studied up close, elephants have also opened a window in my own life. Every elephant, even a ‘Dumbo” has a unique pattern of wrinkles. The elephant works reflect my life, seemingly happy, uncomplicated, and predictable, but engraved with my own unique wrinkles of dilemma, trials, and conflicts. I realize that my artistic passion does not exist by itself. It flows from a lineage of ancestors bridged through my grandfather, a self-taught painter who contributed to the building of a nation ravaged by Korean War, and my father who came to the US and became an engineer and industrial designer, and ultimately connected to the Creator. Now I am at a starting point, thrilled to grow from my origin into an artist with a new distinctive style.

Artist Biography:

Jachyun Jennie Kim was born in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to Lexington when she was two months ole. Every since then, spending time at the Lexington Library has been in important part of her childhood. From early ages she developed passionate interest in visual arts and showed talent in drawing and painting. She took art classes at Museum of Fine Arts, Diablo Glass School, Boston University and Wellesley College Summer School and Dana Hall School and received the Silver Key in Boston Globe Scholastic Award’s Drawing division. In August, 2011, her accepted proposal to the Seoul Metro Gallery led to her first solo exhibition titled The Origin of My Inspiration. Her works were displayed at the Seoul national university Station Gallery and viewed by 120,000 passengers daily. Kim’s interest in displaying in a public space was encouraged by a documentary film on street art, Exit Through the Gift Shop. In addition to drawing and painting, she loves volunteering for the Play Date program at Institute of Contemporary Art in South Boston and playing cello in chamber ensembles. Currently she is a senior at Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA.