New City Arts presents I used to be, a solo exhibition by Maya Kneebone Kim at Welcome Gallery featuring work she created during the New City Arts Fellowship.
Image courtesy of the artist
New City Arts' Welcome Gallery
114 3rd St. NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902
First Fridays
July 1, 5:00–7:30 PM
Free and open to the public. All ages welcome.
Gallery Hours
July 2, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Exhibition Events
Phototransfer Workshop: June 24 at Noon
Listen to the Exhibition Playlist 🎧
Covid-19 Visitor Policy
Masks are required at all times for all visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Please do not come to Welcome Gallery if you have been exposed to COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or have been advised to isolate or quarantine.
Sponsors
This program is supported by an Enriching Communities grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and Maurice Wallace and Pam Sutton-Wallace.
Exhibition Statement (courtesy of the artist)
“I used to be” is an attempt at understanding the complexity of identity and its roots in a complicated history. The title is inspired by the poem, “Confessions of a Recycled Shopping Bag” by John Yau. In a time of exhaustion, the works in this exhibition are meant to reflect on the nation’s history and the awkward and uncomfortable ways in which the artist has wriggled into some semblance of a place. This body of work is the result of constant recreations of the self attempting to understand and fit into the world based on an upbringing deeply rooted in racism, misogyny, and capitalism.
About the Artist (courtesy of the artist)
Maya Kneebone Kim (she/her) is a painter and printmaker with the hopes of better understanding and representing the world. A lot of her interests come from her ethnic background of being Korean and the feeling of being an outsider has fueled her reliance on art as a way to understand her position. Maya's existence is political and therefore her work is political. Being a queer Asian person has informed much of Maya's sense of belonging as well as the places she has found community and safety in.
During her fellowship in June 2022, Maya will explore the link between family and community histories through painting and printmaking.
Photos by Jesús Pino Photography.
