Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Esther Kim

Drowning in Hapiness

The drowning image is my first memory of trauma, which became a source of fear from drowning in a swimming pool when I was nine. The body is painted in dark, morbid colours surrounded by post-modernistic pink. In the adoption of abstractionism, the image is fused by graphical colours and simple forms of post-modernistic elements. The theme of the series “Submerge” addresses my deepest fear and discovers my identity by overcoming my fear of memory. The experience of almost dying became my most vivid inspiration, and the process of painting gave birth to my creativity. The bubbles bubbling around my mouth signifies infinite colours, shapes, and possibilities from chaos to abstract forms. The image juxtaposes opposing elements I exhale; I gave birth to bubbles of creativity. By consistently confronting and overcoming my anxiety, I find beauty in accepting my vulnerability and finding hope in conquering my deepest fear.