Artist and Foundress Insun Kim on Art and The Life of Metal

What does it take to be a woman with her own foundry and an artist? Join us as artist and foundress Insun Kim talks about art, metal, pouring bronze, and sculpting with stainless steel nails.

Insun Kim was born in South Korea. She studied painting at the Arts Students League in New York City. It was later, however, when she was working at the Tallix Art Foundry in Peekskill NY that she was first introduced to sculpture, working with great artists such as Reubin Kankian, Isamu Nogachi, John Chamberlain, Nancy Graves, and Frederick Douglas. These interactions proved to be some of the best and most valueable lessons she could have. She is a self-taught sculptor, highly skilled welder, and fabricator. Over the years, she has worked with many other materials such as wax and clay, but metal has always been the most appealing to her. 

Insun Kim's work is based on her own experiences. Her work relates to themes of life and being alive. She says, "As a woman it is expected that you marry, have children and raise a family. There are many ups and downs in life whether they be the little everyday annoyances or the absolutely dreadful. My art has been there for me throughout such times and has provided me with a positive route to express myself. I love nature and being outdoors, and I also truly respect and cherish what god has made for us. From time to time I will find natural objects that seem to radiate beauty in their own way. It is my hope and my aim to merge this natural beauty with my personal experiences to produce an art, my art, which can channel and display both influences together."