Heartbeat

About Heartbeat

This contemporary fibre tapestry is handmade by Chung-Im Kim.

Each wall hanging created by this uniquely gifted fibre artist takes hours of meticulous hand sewing. Inspired by her rich Korean history, Chung-Im Kim uses industrial felt to create these distinctive sculptural wall hangings. Kim sewed together small squares and triangles of felt, which were then pulled taut to create a raised pattern and tension in the design. Coloured ink added in expressive brushstrokes adds dramatic contrast, visible texture and detail to the white fabric. Most of her work is informed by patterns found in nature, but the organic shape of this piece was drawn from her own life experience. One of a series.

“The idea was developed when I (my family doctor) discovered that I had an irregular heartbeat about ten years ago and began investigating the condition. I wanted to deal with my concern through the work, so I made several pieces with the images obtained through the medical imaging processes.” Chung-Im Kim

Chung-Im Kim has received accolades and exhibitions for her work from prestigious institutions such as the Boston Museum of Art, the invitational Bojagi Exhibition at the Suwon Park Museum in Korea, the Museum Nagele in the Netherlands, and the Belgian Triennial Contemporary Textile Arts Exposition. Kim's exquisite design and execution have been honoured with top prizes and awards in many international art competitions. One of her works was selected for a gift from Canada to the president of China. She received her MFA from Seoul Women's University in 1984 and has taught at OCAD University in Toronto since 2006. She is represented by the Oeno Gallery.