All productsHongbin Kim
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Pseudonym ‘VANHADA’
Your name ‘VANHADA’ means both ‘to fall in love’ and ‘to oppose.’ How does this idea show up in your art or your way of thinking?
The name "VANHADA" reflects a duality—“to fall in love” and “to oppose”—that deeply resonates with my art and worldview. It represents a balance between attraction and resistance, harmony and tension. This duality allows me to explore beauty within chaos, strength within vulnerability, and emotional complexity. It’s a name that gives me courage to adapt and determination to evolve.
Cultural Duality in Art
How have your experiences with both Korean and American cultures influenced your work?
Living in Korea helped me form a strong artistic identity, while living in New York exposed me to greater freedom of expression and artistic diversity. Rather than blending the two cultures, my work focuses on expressing how my Korean identity adapts to and interacts with the unique culture of New York, seeking harmony between self and environment.
Bold Colors
Your use of bright and bold colors really stands out. Can you explain the role of color in your work and how it reflects your artistic vision or personal experiences?
Bold colors are my universal language for emotional and psychological expression. I’m deeply sensitive to color—it’s the first thing I notice in any experience. In New York, I’m surrounded by vibrant artificial colors that feel like urban flowers blooming in the concrete jungle. Translating this into art feels natural, and I balance these vivid hues through careful layering and contrast to maintain harmony in each piece.
Experimental Techniques
You use acrylic paint in unusual ways, like crumpling or tearing it. What do you want people to feel or understand through these techniques?
I use crumpled and torn acrylic to reflect the chaos and layered beauty of urban life in New York. Inspired by torn posters on city walls, I moved away from Korea’s perfectionism and embraced imperfection and rawness. My method involves layering acrylic on film, peeling, and collaging it, aiming to reveal strength in imperfection and harmony in chaos. It’s about resilience, energy, and the layered fabric of city life.
Future Projects
Are you working on any new projects or themes right now? Is there something new you’d like to explore in your art?
I’m currently considering a shift toward sharper, more distinct imagery to increase the communicative power of my work. While past works reflected my New York experiences, I now want to create art that not only draws from the city but also impacts it and a wider global audience in return.