KIM-LEE KHO
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My Solo Show at Red Head Gallery Is Coming Soon!

4/24/2022

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I am burning the midnight oil getting my solo show ready to install next weekend. It will open on Wednesday May 4 and run through Saturday May 21, 2022, at The Red Head Gallery in downtown Toronto.

The title Burnt Offerings alludes to the ancient ritual of burning things whether as offering or sacrifice, as purification or as prayer.
​ 

The concept for the show grew out of experiencing the loss of my father last year, grieving him and contemplating what we feel, and do to mourn, what we lose when we lose a loved one, how loss is the flip side of love, and how it ties into the larger cycles of life and death. Fire and ash are part of that cycle.

This show is both deeply personal and widely relatable, and I hope I am making it more poetic than heavy, so that it will touch you and cause you to reflect and also surprise you in various ways.

For the first time I will be documenting my show in a virtual 3-D format that will allow people unable to visit in person to have a more visit-like experience online. More on that later.

For the second time I am putting out a call for support, for people who love what I do or how I do it and are in a position to provide financial sponsorship, starting at only $10! I will create a separate post about that and link it here when it's ready.

Regardless of that, and in whatever way, I hope you will pay the show a visit, and send me your comments and questions too.

Please wish me luck as I work through the home stretch, when it becomes a matter of stamina really. 

​I can't wait to share this new work with you!

Burnt Offerings is part of the 2022 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.
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My New Colour Diary

10/12/2020

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Day 05
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Day 10
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Day 07
Back in 2010 I gave my second ever presentation as an artist-speaker, called Daily Practices for Artists, looking at the tremendous value they have for our creativity and our “real” work, the forms they can take, how to figure out one that is both appealing and suits your circumstances.

So recently I decided to take my own advice (haha)... again.

I revived an old, not-quite-daily practice from 2009, my Colour Diary. Over the course of ~100 installments, I mixed and painted maybe 1,000 or more colours, into stripes of various widths. 

The original project evolved over time, and ultimately changed me. I never looked at colour the same way again. I was never as limited in my colour thinking (or colour experience) as I was before the Colour Diary.

Each page was improvised. I would begin with a starting point – one day it was the colour of the peanut butter I’d looked at over breakfast – and then respond. 

They also became composed paintings in that I would not work left to right, I would decide on a position and width (they were always vertical stripes on a horizontal piece of water-colour paper, of identical size each time), and both respond to the colours already mixed and applied and to the relative sizes and positions.

Occasionally I would play specific formal colour games, whether out of curiosity or because I didn’t feel inventive enough that day.​

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Day 21
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Part of the collection
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Day 27
Coming back to the New Colour Diary (or Covid Colour Diary), it was an appealing idea to return to it, to play almost entirely with colour again.

Life has been very demanding, between the pandemic situation, the resulting overhaul of our (my husband’s and my) business(es), family medical crises, personal health issues and on and on.

All of that has made time for studio practice difficult and irregular, but it is essential to my well-being, never mind my professional practice! A bite-sized daily practice is exactly what circumstances demanded.

My first change to the original project was to make it digital, so it would be a manageable time commitment for me. Then as soon as I thought that, I knew I wanted to give it a dedicated Instagram account, to share it with the world, or at least that tiny part of the world that either knows or stumbles across me.

So that is where you will find me, posting these little colour meditations, every day whenever possible. My first goal is 100 days, as in #100daysofcolour, and then we’ll see after that.

You can visit it here (even without an Instagram account): 
​https://www.instagram.com/kims.colour.diary/

​Just click on an image to see it larger.

If you have any trouble viewing it there, I have a Flickr album as well, though I do not update it daily:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmR7BVqf

I hope you will check it out, and that you’ll enjoy it!
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Final Week to See Heartspace & Thank You to My Sponsors

11/17/2019

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Heartspace, my debut solo exhibition at The Red Head Gallery, is in its final week this Weds–Sat noon–5pm. I will be there for the final Saturday (Nov 23) all afternoon, or as close to it as I can manage!

After that the work comes down except for some of the small works which will be part of the group show that follows right after mine, #foxypopup.

Heartfelt thanks to my amazing sponsors!

I have thanked my sponsors in print at the show itself, but it's about time I thanked them here on my website.

They took some pressure off, lightening the load on my mind as I headed into, and worked away in, my studio, and they also made some things possible, thereby helping to make this show as interesting and diverse as my ideas called for.

Here are my generous sponsors: 
  • Miriam Snell
  • Josef (Joe) Rich
  • Abigail Johnson
  • Joanna Czub
  • The Conspiracy to Promote Artists
  • Ruth Austin
  • Nancy Moniz
  • Lindsay Isaac
  • Anne Cook
I also owe a very special thanks to Kal Honey, who helps me in every way imaginable. Thanks also to Tim Marshall who along with Kal installed the show so I feel happy every time I look at it!

Installation views of Kim-Lee Kho: Heartspace at The Red Head Gallery through Nov 23, 2019.

My Heartspace solo exhibition is in its final week, continuing through Saturday, November 23 at The Red Head Gallery.

​I'll be there in person on the final day, come and say hi! Open noon–5pm.
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A Packed House for My Heartspace Artist Talk & Opening Reception

11/3/2019

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Kim-Lee Kho giving her 'Heartspace' artist talk to a packed house at The Red Head Gallery in Toronto. All photos by Kal Honey, © Kim-Lee Kho
What a day! I'm feeling so full of gratitude for the many people who came out for the artist talk and opening reception for my 'Heartspace' solo exhibition at The Red Head Gallery in Toronto.

It was so packed that on more than one occasion I had to act like a bus driver and urge everyone to move further inside to make room for the new arrivals!

Wonderful to connect and re-connect with many familiar faces, colleagues, friends, students, sponsors, and even family!

I gave the group a guided tour through the artworks – so many of which merit a little background or additional explanation to enrich the experience rather than replace the personal encounter – covering conceptual, material and 
technical aspects as well as recounting an occasional anecdote. There were also some excellent questions from visitors rounding out the experience.

While I rest and recover I will leave you with some photographs from the afternoon, and later on I will post photos of the installation without the crowds.


If you were unable to attend the opening reception, I will be back at the gallery on Saturday, November 9, from noon to 5pm. I'd love to share the show with you then, but of course visit whenever you can! And please don't forget to sign the guest book :-)

​Heartspace runs through November 23, 2019.
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Solo Exhibition: Heartspace Oct 30–Nov 23 at Red Head Gallery

10/10/2019

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You are invited to my first solo show at The Red Head Gallery, where I became a member in 2018.
​
For more information about the content of the show, click here to see the exhibition page.

This show would be less than I’d hoped if not for the generous support of its/my sponsors.
Many thanks to all of the individuals, and one organization, who chose to support this project!

If you are curious about sponsoring new work, in any amount starting at just $10, please visit this page (click here) to find out more.
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My Artist Statement for 'Heartspace'

Heartspaces are not tidy. They are bloody and muscular and visceral. They throb with the rhythm of our life. As their chambers squeeze, then fill, they experience high and low tides in the space of a single beat.

Being human is not tidy. We are born from blood and viscera and the scream that gives us breath, while our deaths set in motion a rapid decay.
From beginning to end there is so much mess, in our lives, our psyches, our hearts, and our flawed selves. And yet there is so much opportunity for beauty, love, and connection.

We are an interconnected web, hidden, like the vast underground network that makes a forest. And like a forest, if we separate into smaller, divided sections, we all do more poorly.

In this show artist Kim-Lee Kho is interested in the visceral and emotional experience of our human hearts, of the life and connections we can find inside, outside and between our heartspaces. 
Heartspace is part of her ongoing exploration of the human heart: as repository for emotions, as metaphor, as physical structure; using it as a gateway to what our hearts mean to us. 

The work began with Kho’s fascination for three-dimensional medical models and antique anatomical illustrations on the one hand, and on the other with a stirring of emotion, which moved her hand to draw as a way of contemplating subject matter.

Heartspace explores these ideas in multiple media: drawing, painting, text, photography, digital, fibre, mixed media, film-based transfer prints, sculpture and the artist’s first zine.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .

BIOGRAPHY
 

Kim-Lee Kho is a self-taught multidisciplinary Canadian artist, and former graphic designer/art director, exploring subjective experience as a gateway to broader human concerns. The daughter of both a scientist and an artist, Kho’s process and interests combine both influences, in sometimes unexpected ways.

Kho has participated nationally in exhibitions, residencies, and mentorships including at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art (RICA) in Guelph ON, You Me Gallery in Hamilton ON, the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga ON, Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam BC, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby BC, and as part of a two-year travelling exhibition for the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in Alberta. She is a multiple Ontario Arts Council grant recipient.

A feature artist in both the 2016 and 2018 In Situ multi-arts festivals, Kho developed large-scale installations in multiple media and live drawing performances for both events, held at the Small Arms Inspection Building (SAIB) in Mississauga ON. Her 2015 solo exhibition Chains Unlinked a multi-layered immersive installation exploring internal and external barriers through temporary mural drawing, video, textile, and sculpture, was at the Art Gallery of Mississauga.

In addition to her creative practice, Kho is a popular and knowledgeable arts instructor. She teaches at Fleming College’s Haliburton School of Art + Design, and Neilson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke. She also teaches workshops, gives talks, live demonstrations, critiques, and juries exhibitions, at the invitation of numerous art groups, centres and galleries in Ontario.

Heartspace is Kim-Lee Kho’s debut solo exhibition as a member of The Red Head Gallery.

October 30 to November 23, 2019
Opening Reception:
Saturday, November 2, 1–4pm
​with artist talk at 2pm

The Red Head Gallery
401 Richmond St. West
Ground floor, Suite 115
Toronto, ON  M5V 3A8

Gallery hours:
​Weds–Sat 12–5pm

Watch for sneak peeks on social media!
Instagram
Facebook

 
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Seeking Sponsors for Heartspace Show, Starting at Just $10

10/1/2019

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Hearts Are Messy by Kim-Lee Kho. Inks and acrylic paint pen on Chinese mulberry paper; approx. 30" x 18"; 2018. Can be an image for a sponsorship reward or the original is also available for purchase. Contact me for pricing.
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Detail view of Hearts Are Messy. I actually like closeups on this piece a lot, so much that I may produce some prints of those. Let me know if you're interested.
Would you consider becoming a sponsor of Heartspace to help me make the best show I can?

Your interest in and support of my work here (and in-person) means so much, thank you! It spurs me to push myself to do the best work I can.

You may have noticed that I have an upcoming solo exhibition, my first as a member of The Red Head Gallery. Heartspace runs Oct 30–Nov 23, 2019; reception Saturday Nov 2 from 1–4pm; 401 Richmond St West in Toronto.

This is the first time I’ve asked this, but if you know me and my work then you know I do my utmost to create artworks, installations and experiences for artlovers like you to enjoy, and I hope find thoughtful, moving, sometimes challenging, always 🤞 interesting.

My last couple of shows left me gutted financially. So I am asking for your support, by considering sponsoring Heartspace, to help me complete the new pieces and formats. 

Sponsorship is easy and starts at just $10 
Either an email transfer (via online banking) or use the PayPal button below, no account required. 
EMAIL Transfer (see below)
No link, just use your online banking and [email protected] as my address
PayPal (no acct needed)
This button above will take you directly to PayPal.

Please also send me your email address so I can confirm your name and we can communicate regarding your reward!
Reward Levels:
I will thank all sponsors – at any level – on signage at the exhibition as well as on my website. Some levels include gifts (see below). Please let me know if you prefer anonymity.

💲10 Please accept my sincere thanks 
🙏
💲25 My thanks plus I will mail you a set of 3 cards with envelopes, featuring heart-based images 💌
💲60. My thanks plus I will mail you a special edition art print on 5” x 7” hot press paper, signed by me ✍️
💲100 My thanks plus a special edition art print on letter-size (8.5” x 11”) hot press paper OR a similar hand pulled film-based transfer print (featuring irregularities from the process), signed by me, with a handwritten thank you note 📝
💲250 or more Larger print? Small original drawing? Suggest something and we can discuss! 🎁 

Fulfillment would begin at the end of the exhibition.

I will be making regular sponsorship posts on social media over the coming weeks, featuring different art images, and repeating this info there so no one has to go hunting for it.
​
You can find me on:

Instagram and
Facebook

Thanks SO MUCH much for reading and considering! 

Heartfelt thanks to my new sponsors!
It means the world to me and to my Heartspace show! If you are able to attend the reception be sure to collect your special sponsor-hug!
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Preparing for a Big Show

3/6/2019

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Scale model for planning my solo show in the three exhibition rooms at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre.
I am hard at work preparing for my solo show 'Kim-Lee Kho: A Full Heart' at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre March 9–21, 2019. The opening reception will be Sunday, March 10, 1–4pm.

All the prints are made, including the two large new ones (scroll down for a sneak peek of one of them), which I can't wait to see up and share with everyone who's able to visit!

The gallery at Cedar Ridge comprises three main rooms in a historic mansion owned and run by the City of Toronto. There is dark wood trim and features everywhere, a big old fireplace, high ceilings (around 12ft), and baseboards that are at least a foot tall. Full of character, this is a very different kind of space than any I've shown in before.

Because the rooms are full of complications like multiple doorways, built-in bookcases, areas of windows and a big fireplace; and because this is my biggest solo show ever, where I'll be presenting up to 40 pieces/objects, a scale model was absolutely essential to help me plan.

My favourite and always-generous helper Kal Honey put it together for me then helped me plan and curate the show.

Following a site visit when we check and tested a number of aspects, particularly related to hanging methods and details about the space, there will be some adjustments made to our plan. That's why the final number of works isn't quite settled.

I'm continue to work on a sculpture that I hope to include in the show, (working with chicken wire so my hands are getting rather scratched despite mostly wearing gloves), and there are still so many details to look after!

If you can join us for the opening this Sunday, or visit the show anytime through Thursday March 21, I'd be delighted! Hope you can make it!

Please share any questions or comments below.
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Cedar Ridge Creative Centre
225 Confederation Drive
Toronto, ON  M1G 1B2
(416) 396-4026
Lacy white on red symmetrical image based on bare tree branches to express branching vascular systems. Artwork by Kim-Lee Kho, 2019.
This lacy image is a digital print, just over 5ft long. You will find it hanging over the fireplace at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre March 9–21, 2019.
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My Hearts in Place Installation, Part Two

12/16/2018

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A screenshot from the video below showing an early stage of the installation process. Artwork: Kim-Lee Kho. Video: Nettie Seip 2018
Instead of writing more in this second blog post about my installation at the In Situ 2018 festival, (to see part one click here), I will speak to you via the video below, shot and edited by my charming colleague photographer/videographer Nettie Seip, to whom I owe many thanks!

You'll see me on-site in the room during the early stages of installation as I talk about the work and my intentions for it. Then you get to tour through it at night with it fully installed while the festival was in progress.

​Please take a look and let me know what you think! 

Perhaps after the holidays I will put together some time-lapse video shot over the three nights I spent drawing the Hearts in Place mural in front of the festival audience. I will upload it to my YouTube channel – please click on the link and if you like it, consider subscribing :-)
Video shot and edited by Nettie Seip, www.nettiephotography.com
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'Hearts in Place': My Installation at In Situ 2018, Part One

11/30/2018

4 Comments

 
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'Hearts in Place', my room installation at the 2018 In Situ Festival. Most of the room is shown, but you can't see what's at the back centre, behind the "veined" panels, nor what's behind me as I photographed this. All artwork: Kim-Lee Kho, this photo: Kim-Lee Kho
Part two of this blog series is up!
​To go directly to it, click here.


The 2018 In Situ multi-arts festival took place November 8–10 at the Small Arms Inspection Building (a former WWII munitions factory now partially refurbished as a creative hub) in Mississauga, Ontario.

'Hearts in Place' was a whole-room installation comprised of: ten 7-foot high scrolls, eight of which were transfer-printed (a hand-pulled process), two were hand-painted; two paper-and-fibre "veined" panels (centre); two veiling textile panels; one built-onsite sculpture/assemblage which you can see a sliver of light from at the centre of this photo; and the wall behind me as I photographed the room panorama was a mural drawing which I drew a portion of as a live performance each of the three evenings of the festival.

Like the first In Situ festival in 2016, this was an extraordinary experience and a creative high, but with the benefit of central heating and running water!

I am still exhausted from the experience of preparing all of this new work, performing and then taking it all down just days later. As a result I will keep this entry shorter than I might have, but will share with you some photographs. Thanks go to the numerous – generous – photographers and friends, (all credited individually), who made this possible, documenting when I could not.

​Many thanks to the many people who came out to experience the festival and visited my room! If you were there, please let me know what you thought in the comments below.
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Photo: Kim-Lee Kho 2018
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Photo: Jennifer Vong
Kim-Lee Kho stands in front of a 8-foot whimsical heart sculpture made of rope lights, curving silver tubes, metal mesh and tree branches, and next to a very large close up of a face, backlit.
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Hearts in Place installation artwork by Kim-Lee Kho, 2018. Photo (left): Sandra Robson, photo (above): Kal Honey.
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Photo: Gabriella Bank from Sanborg Productions Inc
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Photo: Elaine Whittaker
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Photo: David Ahn
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Photo: David Ahn
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To Find a Wonderful Idea, You Have to Get into the Sandbox

9/29/2018

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OK Go is a band that does extraordinarily creative, innovative and powerful visual music videos like no one else – they are art forms in and of themselves. They pull off incredible feats without relying on the magic of digital effects, what you see always happened in real life and in real time.

Seriously, you need to check these videos out, no matter what your musical preferences are, those won't matter at all. Here are some I recommend (titles are links):
  • Rube Goldberg Machine (This Too Shall Pass)
  • Musical Obstacle Course (Needing/Getting)
  • Zero Gravity (Upside Down & Inside Out)
  • The One Moment (incredible synced slow motion)
​
What these videos show is that these guys are masters at finding ideas. Extraordinary ideas. They also obviously have an amazing team and a considerable budget to pull them off, but plenty of uninteresting ideas have that and get made.

Below is a TED Talk they gave on "How to Find a Wonderful Idea". They point out that the usual approach of sitting in your chair (or other favourite thinking spot) and dreaming up an idea, then planning and polishing it before executing it is missing a vital step: the "sandbox" – that place where you play and discover or unearth your real idea, the wonderful one that the preliminary idea (which leads you to where the sandbox is) was just the seed for.
This feels so relevant to me right now as I work to prepare a big new room installation for the In Situ multi-arts Festival at the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga. Click here for more info in my News section.

I had an idea for the installation but did not get the grant that would fund it. So now I am in my sandbox discovering the new form(s) it will take, and hoping that in the course of my tests, experiments and discovery process, I will unearth that wonderful idea...

​...the one that is waiting for me to find it.
Hands shown palms open and up, above a painting table, with lots of paint on them
Getting your hands dirty is a vital part of finding your next wonderful idea. Photo: Kim-Lee Kho
Have you unearthed some of your own wonderful ideas in a sandbox of some type? What's your favourite sandbox? If you haven't tried it, where could you start? Let me know in the comments below!
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    Kim-Lee Kho

    As a visual artist I like nothing more than getting up to my elbows in paint or little plastic toys, or wading in at the deep end in pursuit of an idea. When I am not teaching others in a similar vein, you can find me researching, writing and noodling around in my studio, seeing where my latest lines of inquiry lead me.

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