Kim Tateo
Kim Tateo, featured in Create! Magazine and The Spirit World Exhibiton, is a painter whose work explores interconnectedness, impermanence, and the unseen. Her dreamlike landscapes are rich with color, marks, and layers, inviting viewers to look closer and discover hidden layers of meaning and wonder. Her deep relationship with nature shapes her practice, informed by her work as a shepherd and her studies of plant spirit medicine and herbalism at the Gaia School of Healing.
She has participated in various exhibitions, art fairs, shows, and public art projects in New York City, Los Angeles, and the Capital Region. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Studio Art from the University at Albany, SUNY.
Artist Statement
I use my creative practice to externalize the complexity of internal emotional landscapes. The physical act of painting is a release, and various brushstrokes and layers show the record of my hand and emotions. I do not plan my paintings but let myself make the next move intuitively based on what I see in the paint, resulting in atmospheric scenes of organic shapes, swirling color pools, and accidental moments. This process requires trust and patience as it transforms between application and drying.
Working with the land and tending to animals has helped me embrace change and understand that life and death are cyclical, interconnected, and mysterious. My practice is about accepting loss and allowing things to transform into something new. The paintings are meant to have a quiet calling, and for my inner processing to be alchemized into something transportive—a meditative pathway to the present moment, while offering hope.
https://www.lookalittlecloser.com/
Can you describe the core themes and emotions you explore in your current body of work?
When I think about the themes of my work, they all come back to my main intention of creating heart medicine. I hope my work speaks to viewers and brings a remedy ~ that it can make a difference in the world.
The works in this series are about ephemerality and exploring and remembering inner light. Working with actual light as a medium has been exciting and fun. Can I bend the light into different shapes and imagine it's part of a cord of light connecting us all?
My work always has many layers of emotions, and these fabrics and light pieces allow different elements to be seen. These pieces are meant to be tactile and inviting, with hidden moments of sequins and shimmer to draw you in.
They are assembled with sewing needles and sometimes contain elements such as plant cuttings. The idea is that they are easily disassembled, reminding us of impermanence and encouraging beauty in the moment.
How does your creative process unfold from concept to completion?
I often have tons of ideas swimming around, collecting them in many journals and scraps of paper. Sometimes, an idea or material will nag at me, begging to be explored. When this happens, I purchase the materials and carve out the time to create.
Deadlines can help me to have something to work towards, but lately, I have been focusing on listening to my intuition and allowing more space and simplicity.
I have many passions and the desire to do many things, but I've learned (am learning!) that allowing more space for wandering and creative expression is essential. This meandering is what allows something to really bloom into something new.
What inspires you most outside of the visual arts, and how does it influence your work?
Music inspires me. I love a beautiful melody, a simple line, and poetry as lyrics. I've started writing music, and this is a reflection of the visual work. In a way, it's the spaces put into song.
I am also deeply inspired by nature and the lessons from plant spirit herbalism and shepherding. Tending to land and animals and honoring the relationship of both teaches me so much about cycles and being in a relationship with all living beings.
Lastly, I am also inspired by connecting with people, reflecting back another's inner goodness, and trying to imagine the heart spaces where all hearts are connected ~ this is really the deepest intention of all of my work.
How do you navigate the balance between personal expression and the commercial aspects of your career?
To be honest, I am figuring this one out and imagine it will be an ongoing unfolding.
When I am connected to my wisest self, I am reminded to just create and let go. During the creation process, I can find myself caught in the "what if's" and wondering what someone will think, whether they will like it or not.
If I am lucky to catch myself in the loop, I remind myself to breathe and bring myself to the present moment ~ the paint on the brush, the temperature in the room, my heartbeat. From this moment, I can pause and trust that the pieces will find whoever they are meant to find.
And furthermore, to really remember gratitude. For the ability to create and express myself, the space for dreaming, and the very fact that I am alive at all. When I come to this space, I forget about the commercial side of things and know that each moment is a gift, and it's this energy that I hope to bring to my work.
What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?
For the mind to quiet enough for the heart to open, just a little bit. For them to connect with the magical unknown and find endless possibilities, a sense of belonging, and a little spark of joy.
