Kim Kyne is a visual artist who uses a childlike color palette and symbolic imagery to inspire joy and trigger collective catharsis. Her work was exhibited in Los Angeles and has been commissioned by the LA Times, Pabst Blue Ribbon and LUSH cosmetics among others. Recently, her work was featured by PAPER magazine and she had the opportunity to participate in a group exhibition, OFF//ON presented by Dani B in which her iconic Trashcan Girl illustration was reinterpreted as a large-scale neon light.
Through the lens of pop culture, society tells us that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” and that we’ve “got to take the bitter with the sweet”. By using punchy colors and playful, simplistic imagery, I’m able to explore and make peace with unwelcome realisations and trauma. Applying a lighthearted aesthetic emboldens me to access and share my vulnerabilities more freely as if afforded protection by a layer of shiny veneer. At the same time, it also softens the blow for the viewer, allowing them to digest hard truths they might’ve avoided if presented more starkly.
Existential Bread, Acrylic on canvas, 12″X12″ 
‘A New Old Reality’ artwork commissioned for the cover of the LA Times 
Ceramic can and ashtray sculptures 
Crayon Illustration of Amar’e Stoudemire 
Kim’s illustrations photographed by Maquis Scott
