Kim Matthews makes nonobjective sculpture and drawings in various media. The frequent use of modular construction arose from practical concerns—the need to be productive with limited studio time—and spiritual ones, as repetition is evocative of the mantra meditation that structures her daily life. The recipient of a 2010–2011 Jerome Fiber Artist Project Grant, Ms. Matthews exhibits in nonprofit and commercial venues throughout the U.S. In 2017, she participated in her first international exhibition in Ukraine. Her work is featured in Lark Books’ 500 Paper Objects and Artistry in Fiber, Volume II: Sculpture, published by Schiffer. Ms. Matthews was born in Anchorage, Alaska, grew up and attended college in Maine, and has been living in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 1984.
Published on March 19th, 2023. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you fascinated with right now?
Right now I'm fascinated with survival. I've been out of full-time work for over six months and am having a rough time trying to find enough sources of income to keep myself afloat. Needless to say it's kind of a buzzkill in terms of the studio. Last year I was thinking about how to upsize my work; this year I'm thinking about making lightweight installations that are affordable to ship. I'm still working on my Objects of Affection series (see previous interview) and am currently making a related group of fluorescent, wall-mounted sculptures called Kites, some of which are shown here.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
Don't use art school as a way to get out of the sticks and escape your parents. Get mental health counseling sooner rather than later and learn to stop self-sabotaging. Give yourself the chance at success that you deserve. Don't go to school until you're ready to try as hard as you can and accept failures. Learn how to forgive yourself and others.
It's easy to believe that everything will magically be easier at some undetermined time in the future without understanding how consequences of what seem to be minor decisions can mushroom into major challenges.
Find some smart adults you trust. Confide in them and take their advice seriously.
And lastly--remember that everything is temporary.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
Swimming has really kept me from immersing myself in despair over the past few months; I swim two or three times a week. And I've been meditating every day for 24 years, which is the glue that holds my life together. I've been leaning on my family and close friends pretty hard. Also, for the past year or so I've had the luxury of spending weekends in the woods of Wisconsin with a sweet and solid human, which has been really grounding. The other important thing is maintaining a routine. At the moment I'm at loose ends and really need to get them together.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I just want to stabilize my finances. I'm not into the whole bohemian "starving artist" trip. I want to make things and get them out in the world so that when I die, some poor soul isn't stuck with a bunch of stuff to get rid of. I would love to find a product development or industrial design job that would enable me to design domestic objects as an independent business or someone else's business. I haven't been able to figure out how to pitch my product ideas to a place like West Elm, but that's the kind of thing I'm talking about: domestic objects that help people feel good and are accessible.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I do all that self-care I mentioned previously. And no matter how down I get about an uncertain future, I do something related to my practice every single day--even if it's just researching art, galleries, or thinking about my next moves. To be honest, I'm not very good at being kind to myself. I feel like I've wasted so much time and that my life is slipping away. I'm trying to rely on all the stuff I've learned through meditation--to be present in the moment and resist the temptation to obsess on the future.
What are you fascinated with right now?
Right now I'm fascinated with survival. I've been out of full-time work for over six months and am having a rough time trying to find enough sources of income to keep myself afloat. Needless to say it's kind of a buzzkill in terms of the studio. Last year I was thinking about how to upsize my work; this year I'm thinking about making lightweight installations that are affordable to ship. I'm still working on my Objects of Affection series (see previous interview) and am currently making a related group of fluorescent, wall-mounted sculptures called Kites, some of which are shown here.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
Don't use art school as a way to get out of the sticks and escape your parents. Get mental health counseling sooner rather than later and learn to stop self-sabotaging. Give yourself the chance at success that you deserve. Don't go to school until you're ready to try as hard as you can and accept failures. Learn how to forgive yourself and others.
It's easy to believe that everything will magically be easier at some undetermined time in the future without understanding how consequences of what seem to be minor decisions can mushroom into major challenges.
Find some smart adults you trust. Confide in them and take their advice seriously.
And lastly--remember that everything is temporary.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
Swimming has really kept me from immersing myself in despair over the past few months; I swim two or three times a week. And I've been meditating every day for 24 years, which is the glue that holds my life together. I've been leaning on my family and close friends pretty hard. Also, for the past year or so I've had the luxury of spending weekends in the woods of Wisconsin with a sweet and solid human, which has been really grounding. The other important thing is maintaining a routine. At the moment I'm at loose ends and really need to get them together.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I just want to stabilize my finances. I'm not into the whole bohemian "starving artist" trip. I want to make things and get them out in the world so that when I die, some poor soul isn't stuck with a bunch of stuff to get rid of. I would love to find a product development or industrial design job that would enable me to design domestic objects as an independent business or someone else's business. I haven't been able to figure out how to pitch my product ideas to a place like West Elm, but that's the kind of thing I'm talking about: domestic objects that help people feel good and are accessible.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I do all that self-care I mentioned previously. And no matter how down I get about an uncertain future, I do something related to my practice every single day--even if it's just researching art, galleries, or thinking about my next moves. To be honest, I'm not very good at being kind to myself. I feel like I've wasted so much time and that my life is slipping away. I'm trying to rely on all the stuff I've learned through meditation--to be present in the moment and resist the temptation to obsess on the future.
Find Kim Matthews on Instagram