1993 Born in South Korea 2018 B.F.A. in Printmaking, Hongik University College of Fine Arts, Seoul, South Korea (double major) 2018- Currently enrolled in M.F.A. program at Tokyo University of the Arts 1.In a word, what kind of artist are you? - I am a copperplate artist. 2. What is the most important thing for you when you create your works? - What is the most important thing for you when you create your works? I want to convey emotion through atmospheric subjects. 3.What is more important to you about art, the visual or the concept? -I think the most important thing in visual art is visualization. I believe that if a work of art does not resonate with the audience, it cannot function as visual art. I think the ultimate goal of an artist is to express a good concept in an attractive way and persuade the audience by visualizing it. 4.What do you think art is? -It is the human instinct to create something. 5. How did you become an artist? -I think of my work as a record of my life. So I create my works as if I were writing a diary. Creating artworks is the same as proving the meaning of my existence, and I think that is why I became an artist. These feelings are also connected to the main theme of my works. I think it is the joy of an artist to be able to make things out of the intense desire to live. Kim Jihye , Time to leave, mezzotint, 12x15cm, 2019 ©️Kim Jihye 6.Are there any artists you admire? -Edward Hopper, Gerhard Richter, Tadayoshi Nakabayashi, Do Ho Suh. 7.What has been the happiest and hardest part of your career? -I am very happy when I am recognized by people who love my work. On the other hand, I feel like I am on a different path from my friends who are not artists. Sometimes I feel sad because I feel like I am living in a different time than the standardized time that society demands. 8. Who would you like to show your work to? -People who prefer night to day, and people who like to spend time alone. Somehow, I think these people will be able to relate to my work. 9. What is one dream or plan that you would like to realize within the next five years? - I'm trying to think about the direction of my work and make changes; I don't know where I'll be in five years, but I hope I can grow to satisfy my needs. 10. Are there any concepts you dislike or want to avoid? - I don't really like concepts that are so direct that you can read the artist's intentions. I want to avoid simple and direct expressions where the image and meaning correspond 1:1 as symbols. I prefer works that can be interpreted from various perspectives, like poetry. Therefore, I aim to create figurative works like poems. Kim Jihye , A sleepless night, mezzotint, 12x15cm, 2019, ©️Kim Jihye 11. What do you do when you make a mistake in your work during the process? How do you deal with the situation when the finished work is completely different from what you originally planned? - Mezzotint engraving is a very difficult process if you make a mistake. If you make a mistake, it is very difficult to go back to the previous step. So when I make a mistake, I try to use it to paint another image. When I make a mistake, I make the most of it. 12. What was your very first piece of work in life? Please tell us your story. I am not talking about the first piece of art in my life, but rather my first print. When I learned woodblock printing in high school, I was very shocked. Compared to painting, printmaking is an indirect genre that uses mediums such as stone, wood, and copper, as well as presses. At the time, I was very interested in the characteristics of this medium. Eventually, this interest led me to study printmaking. I wanted to explore the genre of printmaking as a means of expression rather than a technique. 13. What are your strengths as an artist? - I majored in printmaking, so I have the skills of a technician and the sensibility of an artist. I think these two are my strengths. 14. If you had the opportunity to choose between having an exhibition and selling your work, which would you prefer? Why? - At the moment, I would like to have more opportunities to do exhibitions. It's been a year and a half since I graduated from university and became an artist. So, I would like to have my work known in various ways. I would like to have more opportunities to have exhibitions not only in Korea but also in Japan. 15. If you use unfamiliar art materials such as new brands, does it affect your work? If you have experienced a new material affecting your work, do you prefer the familiar material? Is it like a specific brand? - In the beginning, when I first came to Japan, I couldn't get the art materials I was using; I always liked GRAPHIC CHEMICAL inks because they were useful for expressing deep black colors. However, since it has become difficult to obtain in Japan, I now use a mixture of CHARBONNEL and GRAPHIC CHEMICAL inks. Technique is one of the most important things in printmaking. Therefore, finding and using the right material for you will affect your work. Kim Jihye, The Memory and Trace, mezzotint, 40x30cm, 2017, ©️Kim Jihye Kim Jihye is an artist who believes that memory is far more beautiful than reality. Her work focuses on the theme of memory in eternal time and space. She specializes in mezzotint and etching etchings and is currently pursuing her MFA at Tokyo University of the Arts. Would you like to become a collector of Kim's work? TRiCERA wants to be a platform that connects artists and art collectors. If you are interested in Kim's thoughts and style, why not become an art collector of his works? Currently, three of his works are on view at TRiCERA. To learn more about Jihie Kim, please click here. Interview by Jeongeun Jo Born in Korea, lives in Japan. One of the members of TRiCERA, she graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. She is also an artist herself.