Meet Kim Sandara | Visual Artist, Illustrator, Animator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Sandara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Initially, I wanted to be a teacher because visual artists weren’t painted in a kind light. As a first grader, all I saw is that they live tragic lives and remain unseen and in poverty until they die. If that’s what white men got, what would I get myself into being an artist? I only pursued a creative career because I couldn’t stop being creative. Growing up, I gravitated towards creative classes and at some point I had big dreams of going to art school after high school. I liked that creative projects made me feel like there was always infinite space to express, learn and grow. It was only in art college that I realized that art plays an important role in education, social justice, and healing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I create abstract paintings that translate music into visuals. I used this stream-of-consciousness way of working to create the 270 Million Project. This is an installation made up of 270 back and white ink paintings inspired by Lao music. Each painting represents 1 million bombs dropped onto Laos during the Secret War, a CIA led operation that happened during the Vietnam War. Because of the Secret War, Laos is the most bombed country per capita in human history. There are still bombs to this day hurting civilians. Only an estimate of 1% of the UXO bombs have been cleared. My parents are refugees from this war so when I learned this history I felt a deep sense of pain for their experiences. They had always told me stories about the bombs when I was growing up in the USA but I never felt more torn to learn that the country that took us in was also the country that created the reason they had to escape. The scars of war cannot heal if no one knows about them. Growing up in the Northern VA and DC area, no one ever knew what Laos was when they asked me what culture I came from and at first I was exhausted by this. I was exhausted having to teach every single person I ever met about what Laos is. I almost wanted to just erase my identity from my art. In time, I realized I have to keep going because no one is going to randomly google my country and it’s history. They need something to connect to it. That is why I started making more identity based art work, to educate more people about this war and what they can do to help. Buying a piece of the 270 Million project creates a black square on the grid of the 270 paintings. It is a symbol of the limitless possibilities of people if they decide they want to fix a problem. It is also an ode to the Lao woman workers risking their lives today to clear bombs in Laos for a better future for their children. I hope to keep applying and exhibiting this work until it is just 270 black squares and the story of Laos in it’s healing journey from this war it was never meant to be in. What I learned from finishing these paintings in 2021 is that what made me feel bad and different when I was young is actually what always made me special and passionate. Aside from this project, I’m also working on a graphic novel on my coming out story called “Origins of Kin and Kang”. In my adolescence, I used internal world building and alter egos to cope with being in the closet as bisexual. It is a story of first love, first heartbreak and reaching for hope instead of giving into fear. I want the world to know is what my work is always saying is that sharing our different perspectives makes us more empathic humans; and that healing is a journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Brooklyn and think all of NYC is worth exploring. I love the giant diagram of NYC you can walk over at the Queens Museum and all the fun little claw arcades in Flushing, Queens. In Manhattan and Brooklyn, I’m always looking for the best bánh mí spots. My top favorite in Manhattan’s Chinatown are: Nam Sơn and Bánh Mì Saigon. My favorite spots in Brooklyn are: Bánh Mì Place and Em. For cute shops I would recommend the Elizabeth Center in Chinatown, Rumi, Miniso and Daiso (There’s one in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan but Brooklyn’s is the best). I would also take any guest who is a fan of dinosaurs to the Bronx Zoo at this moment because they have a dinosaur walk through that’s about to be halloween themed! I basically love letting my inner child live their best life in NYC.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout Katherine Wallestad and Jennifer Bruck! They were my art teachers in high school and they opened my eyes to all the possibilities in art. They always made the classroom feel like a safe space to explore my thoughts and curiosities. I feel like I learned a lot about valuing myself and my perspectives through their classrooms. I wouldn’t have grown into the optimistic, intelligent and hungry learner I am without their support, nurture and care.

Website: www.kimsandara.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimthediamond/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimthediamond1