38.1 x 25.4 x 11.4 cm
“Artists on Our Radar” is a monthly series focused on five artists who have our attention. Utilizing our art expertise and Artsy data, we’ve determined which artists made an impact this past month through new gallery representation, exhibitions, auctions, art fairs, or fresh works on Artsy.
Ahrong Kim’s surreal ceramic sculptures turn the body topsy-turvy. Across her work, feminine figures dressed in cutesy outfits pop out of vividly patterned, brightly colored surfaces and curvy, disembodied legs stick out of unexpected objects. Drawing together Korean and Western cultural references, these mishmashed figures explore transformation through a cheeky and unexpected lens.
Kim’s current solo show, “Last Rehearsal,” at LaiSun Keane in Boston (on view through September 28th), features works dating from 2021 to the present. They embody the transformative experiences of motherhood, striking a playful tone while reflecting on this stage of life. For example, in Occupied (2025), the top half of a woman’s head, forehead crinkled with worry, sits atop a harlequin-patterned stool. The tiny gilded hands stuck to her hairdo point in many different directions, evoking a multitude of conflicting mental demands. Kim’s signature motif, upside-down, disembodied legs, protrudes from the sculpture’s top in a whimsical flourish.
Kim earned a BFA in ceramics from Konkuk University in Seoul and an MFA in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has exhibited at the Hunterdon Art Museum in New Jersey, and her work is in the permanent collections of the RISD Museum, Fuller Craft Museum, and the American Museum of Ceramic Art.
—Josie Thaddeus-Johns, Senior Editor
