Feature Friday - Kimura Byol Lemoine
Name
kimura byol lemoine
Pronouns
Ze/zer
Bio
kimura byol lemoine (키무라 별 르뫈 – 木村 ビヨル レムワンー) is a conceptual multimedia feminist artist who works on identities (diaspora, ethnicity, colorism, post-colonialism, immigration, gender), and expresses it with calligraphy, paintings, digital images, poems, videos and collaborations. kimura*lemoine’s work has been exhibited, screened, published and supported nationally and internationally. as curator, has developed projects that give voice and visibility to minorities.
kimura*lemoine, as a Korean-born adoptee, is co-founder of Euro-Korean League (1991, Belgium), EKL-Korea Branch (1994, S/Korea), K.O.A (Korean Overseas Adoptee, 1996, Korea), KameleonZ (1996-1996, S/Korea), KimLeePark (1998, S/Korea) G.O.A’L (1998, S/Korea), O.K.A.Y.-Books (2001-2008, S/Korea-Canada), Orientity (2004-2007, worldwide), N.O.K.I.A.A. (Network of Korean International Adoptee Artists, 2010), A.Q.A (Asians/Autochtones/Afro-descendants Queer Adoptees, 2007), and zer latest contributions to the inter-racial adoptee community is A.C.A (adoptees cultural archives, 2015) to document the history of adoptee’s culture through media and arts, K.A.R.M.A (2018, Korea), and is part of IbyangIN (Korean adoptee activism, 2021), OKAP (Overseas Korean Art Project, 2023) FKRG (francophones news on Korean adoption, 2024).
The work of kimura byol lemoine fascinates by its breadth and evolution across what seems like several lifetimes and continents: Born in South Korea, adopted in Belgium, the artist sought to reintegrate as Korean for more than a decade before finally immigrating to Montreal where ze becomes an active player in the city’s queer, P.O.C, and feminist art communities.
Zer* artistic practice, which could equally be treated as activist archiving, takes the forms of calligraphy, photography, painting, poetry, video and collaboration. Across these mediums, kimura byol lemoine inquires into identity, gender, race, colorism, diaspora and immigration.
Since 1988, kimura * lemoine has been screened at numerous festivals, art spaces and cinemas.
As an artist, kimura*lemoine received grants from Montreal Arts Interculturels, Regard sur Montréal (CAM, NFB, ACIC), and Prize PowerHouse from La Centrale, a 2018 CALQ Grant for zer writing essay project ’88 etc. In 2020, kimura*lemoine screened Adoption 30 years after (ACIC-ONF/NFB), exhibited at Dazibao (Jan.-Mar., 2020, Montreal) and coordinate ‘ConnexiOnze‘ project (2020), an art residency & group show at PHI Foundation (Summer 2021), Queering Qualligraphy (2022) and POJA (2023) Korea-Canada (2023-2024) grant with the support of CCA.
Instagram
@starkimpproject @kimurabyol
Website
https://starkimproject.com/
Where in Montreal are you located?
Petit Saigon/Rosemont-Petite Patrie
What do you love about your neighborhood?
It's called 'Little Saïgon', many Asian, Queer, artist community, and recently many Latinx and Haitian shops.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
PHI Foundation and Center because it gives residencies for artists, exhibits, screenings and activities for the public. Also, they pay attention to accessibility, they also have. audio. description. They treat artists with respect (from my experience).
Describe your art practice in your own words.
my art practice is not to 'show off', i am producing work when I feel I want to share. a concept. Since i don't belong to any (art)institutions (galleries, universities), i have the freedom to express with not thinking i might tarnish the image of one of them. in 1988 (20 y.o) i did my first short film and it won a prize. (which i didn't expect) and from that time, i felt i can continue to. express my thoughts through visual or 'moving' images. since i am intersex, dyslexic and my inter-racial and international adoption impacted me on being aware of race dynamic (in family and society), my work talks a lot about racism, colorism, discrimination, social justice, since 1988, i keep doing work adapted with my financial realities, places/surroundings i am experiencing.
What mediums do you work with?
short poetry, short videos/films, pop-art calligraphy, expressionism, photography/installation conceptual works, collaboration and curation.
Describe your current project.
Poja-Gi: it's about a (korean traditional) patchwork of diasporic gestures. as an adoptee what is "inné" and what is 'acquis.' i believe we have both but in my adoptive experience people praise the 'acquis.' being back to my birth land as an adult i could realize i had much more 'inné' than expected. i believed that only my physical features made me asian. but i am the product of both and don't want to deny one for the other. So, i ask other asian diasporic to share their experiences in daily life gestures. Poja means in korean 'let's look' but it’s also a way to say 'Let's meet again' " I have a reflex to not believe that person who tells me that from my experience of abandon. that's why it's very meaningful to me. 'gi' means 'banner.' Pojagi is the name of korean traiditonal patchwork. so it's a play on words. because i had to learn korean as an adult and my way of deconstructing the language made me playful about it and not conform to be a 'real' korean. especially also because i am half japanese raised in a Flemish-Francophone country: Belgium.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Personal experiences, social justice, cultures, displacement, pop culture, electro, cinéma-vérité, poster design, minimalism.
Describe your creative process.
i think a lot first about how to express a feeling of discomfort. ex. being disadopted, experiencing homophobia, racism, sexism. i also use my time to document details of my daily life with photos and videos. it builds a bank of images, and sounds that i keep for further use. then i start to write short text/poem to concise/simplify the feeling into a concept. after, i remember images that i. took that can dialogue with the subject of my concept. then it takes shape and i craft it into a video or painting or photo series or installation.
What led you to pursue visual art?
it was organic, a way to get out my 'foggy' thoughts. it was therapeutic and became more structured and become 'presentable' especially when i work on installation or multi-media work.
Is there any medium you don’t currently work with, but would like to explore?
i am for sure not a nerd on trying to challenge art practice. this is not my interest. but if there is something i would like to get better is to not waste material for the so-called 'grandiosity'
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