Painter's Eye
“That simple but refined flavor is evident throughout Painter’s Eye, from the shimmering ripples of “Bloom and Wither” to the hushed, uneasy drones of “Ink Silence.” Kim is expressive but controlled, connecting emotionally with a stark sense of constraint.”
Shaun Brady, Jazz Times
“The collaboration of Kim's Korean lyrics and Ben Monder's moody guitar make Painter's Eye absolutely shine. The entire album is something of a stunning experience, and it might just break a few hearts, too."
Dave Sumner, All About Jazz
This project began when I started to work with poetry in the Korean language in my practice. I had just moved back to Korea after living half of my life overseas. I had first moved away when I was 14 years old and when I returned to Korea after living in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Denver, Boston, then New York, I was 28 years old. I had moved back wanting to reconnect to my roots. I wanted to connect again with my family and to the land, and culture I was born into. I had adapted to living as a global nomad from a young age by adopting various cultural lenses with which I had come to think, feel, and act. Each place I lived had offered new cultural perspectives and unique ways of being in the world. I had been adopted by a variety of cultural networks and the multitude of relationships I had formed significantly impacted my sense of identity. Living away from home had given me the opportunity to experience an extraordinary scope of perspectives from a young age, and I had felt the need to process and ground those extraordinary experiences in my body and awareness in the place I considered my home ground.
