A Minute with Kim Kyne Cohen
Hi! This is a newsletter about artists I like.
I began acquiring art through some friends who worked in galleries. I started small, working on a limited budget for stuff I could afford. As time passed, my collection grew, and it was exciting to watch many of the artists I'd collected go on to bigger shows and critical acclaim. My goal with this newsletter is to make a digestible resource for anyone interested in artists making excellent (and still affordable!) work whom you haven't heard about... yet.
This artist is doing their own thing and I have no clue how the hell they did it. That’s about it and all it took for me to reach out to Kim. I did my standard IG message which i’m sure is a bit weird because nobody knows who I am or anything. Kim was so nice and said she was down to take part. She never even mentioned that she was in the middle of getting married. CONGRATULATIONS!
I’m a big fan, buy some work readers.
Can you describe your work and how you came to develop your style?
KKC: Though I have a foundation in drawing and painting, these days I’m primarily a ceramic sculptor. Making art has always been my way of responding to and processing life. As a designer in the fashion industry, I found myself overworked, underpaid, and hanging on by a thread. Creating emotionally charged illustrations kept me going, and thankfully, after posting them on Instagram, I slowly started getting paid to make art. After reading The Artist’s Way in 2020, I felt empowered enough to invest money into my artistic practice and splurged on a private ceramic handbuilding lesson. The rest is history! Clay felt like an old friend I’d reconnected with from another life. It’s come naturally to me, and although I’m mostly self-taught, I’ve had the opportunity to learn with Julia Haft-Candell at the school she founded, The Infinite School. The course taught me how to work faster and create larger pieces despite kiln size, expanding my practice even further.
My work is very colorful, childlike, and playful. I love the naturally lumpy texture clay produces and the way it lends a surreal, dreamlike quality to my pieces. In terms of subject matter, I often work with the human figure and everyday objects. My work helps me make peace with the world and amuse myself and others.
Can you talk about your background and what led you to being an artist ?
KKC: I was a hyper-creative child and always knew that art would be the path for me. I went to Otis College of Art and Design intending to study fine art, but I was seduced by the fashion program. Although fashion didn’t exactly work out the way I planned, it still lights me up, and I find that passion cropping up in my sculptures. A piece I made recently called “Hat on a Hat” is a Pierrot hat on top of a cowboy hat.
What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
KKC: I can’t share the details yet, but I’m super excited that one of my pieces will be included in a museum exhibition opening in June. Aside from that, I just want to keep making work and share it with people who appreciate it. I’m also planning to travel abroad for my honeymoon! It’ll feel weird to take so much time away from the studio, but I know it will only lead to more ideas and inspiration.
What are your thoughts on IG/social media as an artist ? Annoying or do you like it ?
KKC: I love seeing other artists’ work on Instagram! I've made most of my connections through it as well. Most importantly, I’m a meme addict.
What is currently inspiring/motivating you?
KKC: For our wedding, my husband and I collaborated on a number of pieces for the wedding: ceramic apple centerpieces that were adorned with bugs and had tealights for stems, hand-painted art for our Ketubah and prayer books, and a few kiddush cups. On one of the cups, I painted some figures that I’m excited to explore in 3D form. A lot of my work inspires later iterations and explorations.
Who should we have on next?
KKC: HP Denham
Can you share some images of you work?
How/where can our readers buy your work?
KKC: They can email info@kimkyne.com to purchase available pieces or request a commision.
Thank you so much!!