Kimberly Rachel Yang is the first local artist PSL is working with to bring to life PSL HOME AND LIVING. Her debut collection of 3 one-of-a-kind wall art was sold within 10 mins of our launch.
We asked Kim more about her inspiration behind the collection "Mountains and Valleys" to understand her thought process. Thanks to the PS community's overwhelming response, we had successfully convinced her to put up another 5 one-of-a-kind pieces as part (ii) to the collection this Christmas.
Photographed and interviewed by Audris Adabella
Hi Kim! Tell us a little bit more about yourself and what (art) mediums you use to express yourself?
K: Hi! I’m a creative who experiments with various art forms, but stuck with only doing photography for the past years. I would even say that’s where I built (and limited) my confidence and identity as a creative. It wasn’t till this year, after I left my job during the covid season, where I found myself diving deeper into paintings, drawings, macramé weaving, even bits of collages, pastels and lettering.
What inspired the concept and colours behind the collection "Mountains and Valleys"?
K: I loved the idea of how tiny standing before a mountain, or in a valley, can make us feel. It evokes a sense of wonder and a humbleness as you see these beautiful but huge structures that’s clearly not created by the means of man in any way possible. And with that, the revelation that many things are not in our control and those that we fuss about in our day to day are perhaps less consequential than we think of them to be. That was something that I wanted to put out as a visual reminder, a piece in their home that they can look at when they need a break from the chaos and the grind of life.
As for the colors, I picked more neutral earthly tones for part (i) and decided to sprinkle in deep green and orange for part (ii), adding a little Christmas warmth! You’d also notice a consistent bright yellow sun in all the pieces. I wanted to include a symbol for life, as I tell all the owners-to-be of my artwork that I want my pieces to give life to the spaces in their homes.
We heard that you found a new style while creating this collection. What do you think of it?
K: I love it! Prior to this, I happened to be playing around with collages for fun. Mimicking the days in primary school when art teachers would ask us to bring a magazine to class, cut them up and paste them together with glue. I loved the idea of a little 3-D element, plus I always wanted my work to be more than prints that can be easily found on the internet, downloaded and printed out.
With line drawings it’s the same as well. I wanted to go back to the basics. Nothing too fancy or elaborate, the simplicity of lines and shapes to convey a picture. However, this is also the difficult part, with barely any colors and a style this minimalistic, I have to consider which details are essential in conveying the elements and at the same time ensure they aren’t too abstract to understand. Art after all is for both the creator and the receiver!
Personally, which was the piece that you resonate with the most?
K: I would say, “In the Valley” because it was the first piece I designed for this collection shortly after emerging from a very difficult place in 2020. I was doing better however not good yet and it was a strange place to be. It’s a "be kinder to yourself", and "don’t discount the victories you have achieved" message that I was trying to portray visually. Knowing 2020 has been tough for everyone (not just me), I wanted to share this sentiment with others who may be going through the same phase in their own journey of healing. So I described my relation to this piece as a note-to-self and one that I hold very close to my heart.
Kim is wearing STRENGTH and DIGNITY in XXS/XS from PSL's ESSENTIALS.
You hand deliver each of these one-of-a-kind pieces. How was it like meeting the people who value your work?
K: I like to think of people who buy my pieces as owners-to-be because for me it’s the handing over of a creation, of something that is meaningful to me and will be hopefully meaningful to the next person even if it’s in a different measure. I think this is definitely one of the perks of being a small creator. To be able to see and know who you are interacting with and hear from them, after receiving the pieces, encouraging words of affirmation whether it is for your style or effort. I feel like I have received so much too, although it is them receiving a new artwork, as they deposit a dose of motivation with every kind word to keep creating for the next person.
Aww... here at PSL, we're all about connecting on a human to human level. So, what does the word "inspire" mean to you?
K: To me, inspire is the childlike awareness and appreciation for your everyday things.
I believe there’s no space too boring or meaningless to engage in. And by space, I am referring to physical spaces. I am a huge advocate for slowing down and appreciating the big and small things. My friends would probably describe me as being obsessed over the beauty around us. I would stop and photograph anything, from tiny unassuming roadside wild flowers to the obnoxious grand majestic sunsets that fill the entire sky. Beyond physical space, I think of lives-- the people around us and the relationships we invest ourselves in, as space too. We exist in these spaces, the physical and relational in our everyday lives.
To be willing to keep an open mind and always be thoughtful about how you are experiencing these things and how they make you feel. To me that’s what inspire means. From within and out, a new feeling, a new thought, or even an old feel and old thought revisited. To be inspired is a place where everyone has access to, and I often find it an enchanting place to dwell in. You don't have to travel far to be inspired. If you’re feeling jaded today while reading this, stop and fall in love with the wildflowers or be a child and look at the clouds and tell me what shapes of animals you see, then smile and remember we all have the capacity to be inspired.
You expounded that beautifully! Yes, beauty is indeed all around. Will we see more from you in the near future?
K: Yes of course! The PS Community has shown so much love for my work, I’d be happy to continue creating this style of art and make it accessible to you as long as you want it. So do reach out if you love the pieces, or want to see more so we know to keep creating exclusive pieces just for you.
On a personal level, I have recently started putting up my art pieces on @rky.creates! I will definitely be doing a lot more paintings and continue experimenting with different mediums, so if you’re keen to follow me on my journey of discovering new forms of art beyond line drawings & cut outs you can find me there.
You are a gift! Such a talent. Thank you for collaborating with us to kickstart our HOME AND LIVING section featuring different local artists! Xx