ARTIST STATEMENT
Three major accidents in her life: at the age of 8 she lost her mother. In her grief she also lost her words; at the age 14, her hearing was damaged and one ear had to be operated on after almost being drowned by boys; at the age of 50, a head-on collision by a careless driver led to her broken seven ribs, her lung collapsing, her spine breaking apart, and her pelvic bone cracking and legs being completely crushed. Her work incorporates her feelings of embracing these pains and seeking to look for the silver lining. Her belief is that the best she can do is smile. Smile when she is filled with joy, smile when tears well up in her eyes from grief, smile when it hurts so much that she can no longer bear the pain. She aims to express all the various emotions that can lie behind her smile into herpaintings, which focus on various animals.
“Life is never fair and it often creates moments we didn’t expect. But that does not mean it is correct to complain and suffer when you are faced with unfortunate circumstances. There are things we can be grateful for in any situation. You just hold on to your gratitude and smile with all your might. After all isn’t it much better to live with a smile?“
Clara has been influenced by both the ancient Korean arts and contemporary western sensibilities and strives to bring together these two separate philosophies.
The lines that seemingly does not know where to go expressesthe human desire to be freed from restraints.
Her work was selected for the Government of Ontario Art Collection and the City of Ottawa Art Collection and Grants from Canada Art Councils and City of Ottawa Art Council.
She has participated in Ottawa and Ontario public art and exhibited her work (Toronto, Ontario, Quebec) and Internationally (Switzerland, Korea, USA) including Art museums in Canada and Korea.
https://www.facebook.com/clarakimart/ | https://www.instagram.com/clarakimart/