Alexandra Kim
Alexandra Kim’s practice explores the tension between tradition and subversion, creating ceramic works that balance the human-like and the abstract, awkward and graceful. Working primarily with clay, Kim employs hand-building techniques such as coiling to craft her sculptures. This method involves building up forms layer by layer with rolled coils of clay, which provides both structural stability and the freedom to create large-scale, organic shapes without the constraints of moulds or machinery. Her hands-on approach allows her to work intuitively, shaping each piece directly, imbuing her work with a physicality and presence that connects deeply to her themes.
Her sculptures draw viewers in with curvaceous edges and inviting openings, reminiscent of bodily forms, only to disorient them with unexpected asymmetry and unpredictability. This dynamic interplay reflects her broader exploration of femininity, womanhood, and societal expectations.
Kim’s work pays homage to, while also reimagining, the Korean stone fertility statues of Jeju Island, known as “dol hareubang.” By referencing these symbols of life and creation, her pieces articulate themes of fertility and rebirth while challenging traditional roles and constraints placed on women. Her sculptures evoke a sense of duality—comfort and unease, beauty and awkwardness—highlighting the complexity of the female experience.
Through her use of clay and the physical act of building, Kim’s art becomes a conversation between cultural heritage and contemporary identity, merging the personal and the universal. By embracing both the welcoming and the disruptive, her work invites viewers to engage with its tactile, sculptural presence and the deeper narratives it embodies.
