top of page
Henley_200129_0162.jpeg

Photo by John Henley

 Artist Statement and Bio

 

Cassandra Kim is a contemporary artist whose paintings explore the unique personalities and characteristics of animals and reflect a lifelong love traditional art. Inspired by the master painters of the past, she seeks to put her own slightly absurd surreal twist on art by replacing animals with people. Pairing an unexpected animal with an image from past societies creates a visual paradox that inadvertently humanizes the portraiture and often makes people smile. The use of humor is a valuable way to break down barriers between people and art. She works in the combination of acrylic and then oil on board, and restores reclaimed antique and vintage wood frames she finds for her work. Each piece is carefully crafted to capture the essence of the animal, and to highlight their individual traits and quirks. Her hope is that her work will inspire others to see animals in a new light, and to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the animal kingdom through her imagined society; while reminding the viewers of the deep connection they experience and all share. 

 

Cassandra lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two children. She is a 2003 BFA Illustration graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the 2013 recipient of the Klondike Gold Rush National Park and Chilkoot Historical Site artist residency. After working commercially as an artist for 14 years, Cassandra turned her focus to her personal art full-time in 2018.  She has since exhibited in galleries across the United States and internationally.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS:​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • "New Blood" Group Exhibit at Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC                                                                                                           Opens June 2nd, 2023

  • "Beyond Original "Portrait Show 11 group exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA                                                                      Opens June 17th, 2023

  • "Covers"group exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA                                                                                                              Opens August 3rd, 2023

  • Guardians of the Feral Land" group show at Kuehl Fine Arts, Trinidad, CO                                                                                                     Opens December 1st, 2023

  • Untitled Solo at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond VA                                                                                                                                     Opens December 2nd, 2023

CV

​

EDUCATION

BFA in Communication Arts and Design with a focus in Illustration, from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (2003)

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Trader Joe Artist (2003-2016)

  • Self Employed Artist 2016-present

​

​

2023

  • "House of Many Tales" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK 

  • "Playing Favorites" Group Exhibit at Robert Lange Studio, Charleston, SC

  • "Year of the Rabbit" Group Exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA  

  • "Small Works" Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond, VA     

  • "Surreal Salon 15" Juried Group Exhibit at Baton Rouge Gallery curated by Marco Mazzoni, Baton Rouge, LA   

2022​

  • ​​"Yule" Group Show at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA      

  • "Mystical Rhythms" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK      

  • "Cornucopia" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "Between Spellbook Pages" Group Show at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Cult of Meow VI" group show at Gristle Arts Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • Richmond Folk Festival, Art Booth, Richmond VA October 7-9, 2022

  • "The Birds and The Bees" Group Exhibit at Robert Lange Studio, Charleston, SC

  • "Danse Macabre" Group Show at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA

  • "Beautiful Creatures" 2 person show at Revolution Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

  • "EBTKS 2022" group show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

  • "Strange Paradise: A Window into Surrealism" a juried group exhibit at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD 

  • "Some Fun Now" Little Shop of Horrors Tribute Group Show at SugarMynt Gallery, South Pasadena, CA

  • "The Portrait Show X" Group Exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA

  • "Echo All the Worlds" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "Microvision 5" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "100 Trees" Group Exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA

  • "The Listening Room" Group Exhibit at Robert Lange Studio, Charleston, SC

  • "Familiar Strangers" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "Within the Static" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "Size Doesn't Matter" Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond, VA

  • "Surreal Salon 14" Group Exhibit at Baton Rouge Gallery curated by Carrie Ann Baade, Baton Rouge, LA

  • "Homeward Bound: Juried Triennial" Group Exhibit at Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA

 

2021

  • "Labyrinth of Dreams" Group Exhibit at Wow x Wow Online Gallery

  • "Salvaged Renaissance" Solo Show at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond, Va

  • "Lore" Group Exhibit at Modern Eden, San Francisco, CA

  • "Outwit the Monster" Group Exhibit at Wow X Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "I Love Hue" Group Exhibit at Robert Lange Gallery, Charleston, SC

  • "Cult of Meow V" Group Exhibit at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Monochromagic 4" Group Exhibit at Wow X Wow Online Gallery, UK

  • "The Portrait Show IX" Group Exhibit at Modern Eden, San Francisco, CA

  • "Toadstools" Group show at Gristle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Ruffly Painted Animals" Mini solo at Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC

  • "Put a Bird On It" Group show at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond, VA

  • "Small Works" Virtual Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen Consulting, Richmond, VA

  • "Surreal Salon 13" Group Exhibit at Baton Rouge Gallery curated by Thinkspace Projects, Baton Rouge, LA

  • "The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing" Group Exhibit, Immersive SCOPE Miami Beach Art Fair, Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

  • "Trading Card Art Show IV" Group Exhibit at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "What Would Heironymus Do?" Group Show, The Secret Gallery, Astoria, OR

  • "Cordial Creatures Portraits" Solo Show, Curly Tale Fine Arts, Chicago, IL

​

2020

  • "Cult of Meow IV" Group Exhibit at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Painting for the Puppies" Charity Auction,The Secret Gallery, Astoria, OR

  • John Henley "Artists" Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen, Richmond VA

  • ​"No Pants Required" Group Exhibit at Gabba Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

  • "We Will Survive" Group Exhibit and Fundraiser at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • "Knights and Monsters" Group Exhibit at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Bird of Paradise" Group Exhibit at Gristle Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • "From Me to You" Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • "Size Doesn't Matter" Group Exhibit at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

​

2019

  • “Under The Rafters: New Work by Cassandra Kim” solo show at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • Current Art Fair, Group Exhibition, Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • “Configurations: a curatorial project” group show at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • “Summer Splash” group show at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • “Hear Me Roar” group show at Eclectic Gallery, London, England

  • “Hung Juried” group show at Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • “All Media Show” group show at Crossroads Art Center, Richmond, VA

 

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

  • Chilkoot Trail Artist in Residence- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park & Parks Canada Chilkoot Trail National Historical Site, Skagway, Alaska and Yukon, Canada
    (July 2013)

 

AWARDS/PUBLICATIONS

  • 2nd Grand Prize in the 2022 Surrealize Art Prize

  • Virginia Living Magazine, Vadya Parrish, featured in "Made in Virginia Awards", Animal Greeting Cards, December 2022

  • The Huts Magazine, artist feature,"Cassandra L. Kim, Animals with tradition" Issue 6

  • Richmond Times-Dispatch, Curran, Colleen, "Richmond artist designs Folk Festival Poster" Saturday, September 24, 2022

  • Trekell Pet Portrait Competition, Winner of the “The Greg Simkins Award” for Acrylic (Sept. 2019)

  • Pikchur Magazine: Blog featured Artist: “Replacing People with Animals in Classic Portraitures-Artist Cassandra Kim” (May 2019)

​​

*represented by Glave Kocen Consulting and Guest Artist at Robert Lange Studios

​

bottom of page