Kimi Jaak South Korean, b. 1976

Kimi Jaak (b. 1976) views everyday life through the eyes of a stranger, reflecting on how familiar experiences can evoke unease or fear from an outsider’s perspective. By stepping back from daily reality, the artist renders overlooked aspects of life through contrasting colors and surreal compositions. Kimi Jaak also reinterprets the Korean traditional soban (small table) with lacquer and her distinctive color palette, transforming everyday objects into sculptural presences within space.

Much of her work reflects her visual experiences while living in Hawaii, juxtaposing bright sunlight with interior shadows or dimly lit landscapes. Figures and objects, such as vases and flowers, recur as motifs of fragile beauty and existential reflection. Through these images, she expresses her identity as both outsider and aspirant—a “successful stranger”—meditating on the compromises and disguises that shape how we navigate the world.