the sac, the sieve, and the mirror

Exhibition by Kim Kei

Opening Reception: Friday, March 6th, 6–10pm, Artist Discussion @ 6pm

Closing Reception: Friday, April 3rd, 6–10pm

Exhibition: March 6th–April 25th, 2020

Local Language: 477 25th Street, Oakland CA 94612

Please join us Friday, March 6th at 6PM for an artist discussion of Kei’s work. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

While the figure as a form is absent, implications of the body are present throughout Kim Kei’s multidisciplinary work. Kei uses a variety of experimental processes involving sculpting, photography and painting that allow unnameable forms to begin to contort and unfurl. The forms reference anatomy, flesh, and skin—the “sac”—and mimic the body's acquired marks through time, injury, repair, and illness. Simulated skins reveal what we attempt to keep hidden, bringing these unruly parts of ourselves fully to the surface and communicating a body in motion—the “sieve.” Viewed closely, there is opportunity for empathy and intimacy, and the work is open to a reflection back into oneself—the “mirror.”

These works are reflections on moments that caused Kei to ache: a band aid peeling off the face of a passerby, chewed nails, swollen ankles, blisters and cuts…instances that encompass both the fragility and resilience of the body. The artist drew inspiration for this collection from the writing of Dider Anzieu:

I assigned three function to [the skin]: as a containing and unifying wrapping around the Self; as a protective barrier for the psyche; and as a filter of exchanges and for the recording of the earliest traces, the function that makes representation possible. Three configurations correspond to these three functions: the sac, the screen and the sieve. The work of Francis Pasche (1971) on The Shield of Perseus led me to consider a fourth function, that of a mirror of reality. - The Skin Ego by Dider Anzieu

RESIDENCY WORK ON EXHIBIT

Kei’s process consists of sculptures, photographs and paintings created from an assortment of fragile distressed everyday objects. Kei warps dried paint of skin-like texture that was previously formed on misshapen sculptures. Photographs are taken in varying compositions, becoming the foundation for her paintings. The work is representational and abstract, capturing true movement and visceral form.

ARTIST’S BIO

Kim Kei (b.1981, Corpus Christi, TX) is a multi-disciplinary Los Angeles-based artist whose practice utilizes sculpture, printmaking, painting, and photography to evoke sensations of vulnerability, invasiveness and tenderness towards the body. Kei attended the University of Arizona and received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2003. Her work has exhibited internationally, with solo shows at the Irvine Fine Arts Center (Irvine, CA), Brandstater Gallery (Riverside, CA), Alter Space (San Francisco, CA), and Bustamante Gill (Los Angeles, CA). Kei attended residencies at Instinc, Singapore, Mass MoCa, Irvine Fine Arts Center, and La Sierra University. Her work has been featured in Juxtapoz, Artsy and Temporary Art Review. In addition to studio work, Kei has taught painting as an adjunct professor at La Sierra University. 

Local Language is an Art, Design, and Fabrication studio providing curated art collections for commercial properties across the globe. The Artist in Residence program offers space, time, and facilities for artists in a multitude of disciplines to explore creative pursuits and utilize technology to further their own art practice. We are a working art manufacturer. Made in the Garage District, Oakland California.

Open to the public Thursday & Friday 5–9pm, Saturday 2–5pm, or by appointment.