Herry Kim: Painting Soft Worlds from Digital Memory

Herry Kim, a Korean artist based between Seoul and Los Angeles, blends digital culture, spiritual inquiry, and play in her paintings and sculptures. Educated at Seoul National University (painting and sculpture) and CalArts (Art and Technology), her work draws on online environments like IMVU, dolls such as Blythe and Pullip, and Buddhist ideas. A pivotal moment came after her MFA when, working as an auction clerk at Santa Monica Auctions, a visit to the Norton Simon Museum and encounter with Les Nabis paintings reignited her painting practice. Her recent works include oil and acrylic paintings like 'Rain (비)' (2025) and 'Digital Explosion (디지털 폭발)' (2025), and sculptures such as 'Marmi Finti (의석 擬石)' (2025). A recurring figure named Smile appears in her work. She created a ball-jointed doll named Nana (Korean for 'me, me') inspired by Hans Bellmer, studying under Korean doll artist Dong-ah Lim. The doll, made from stone clay with mohair and wooden spheres, took six months to complete. Her daily practice includes calligraphy. A solo exhibition at TTE Art Gallery in Seoul took place in January 2026. She is preparing for a solo show at Artifact Projects in New York in May 2027 and aims to expand her presence in Japan.