Meet Kim Cardoso

We were lucky to catch up with Kim Cardoso recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kim, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Both sides of my family worked hard to survive and make better lives for themselves. Their sacrifices allowed me to grow up as a middle class kid, but I was always aware of our histories. So even when my father got transferred from one suburb to another, my mom started a new garden- and new job herself. We grew and preserved our vegetables, repaired our things, and I was expected to get good grades and have a job. There was never a question, we just did it that way. I don’t understand boredom, and I do best when there is some heavy labor in my routines. I’ve never really thought much about how these values and habits are present in my work as an artist, but I suppose they give me the grit to follow my curiosity and power through when it’s not there. I also think that being involved in multiple projects and exhibits is a good survival technique!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m mostly a painter, but with a background as a jeweler and midwife I approach my work from a craft-based, holistic perspective. My primary medium is encaustic, which is a combination of beeswax and tree resin. The material is heated, applied in a liquid state, cooled, then fused in multiple layers with a torch or heat gun. It’s a technique that was originally used in creative preservation – think 1st century mummy portraits and ancient Greek boat hulls. Encaustic is not often seen in contemporary art, but I‘m enchanted by the sculptural quality, translucent possibilities, and delicious smell of the medium. My work explores themes of time and connection, and I often pay attention to the places we intersect with nature.

I just completed a month-long residency in Estonia where I sought to understand lost time. My grandmother and her parents escaped Estonia in 1944 as the Iron Curtain closed off the Baltics, and my mother was born in a refugee camp in Germany. I grew up with tales of the homeland, but my grandparents never returned. Near Tallinn, I built a seven foot sundial to help find my way through the lost stories, wire jars to try to contain memory, and I made drawings and monotypes of the snowy landscape. My work held space for what we contain and what we can’t bear, what we know or forget, the importance of place, and that feeling of holding on while time slips away.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

This question is easy. Essential parts of me are vulnerability, awe, and being handy. Handiness means I can use tools and make tools when I have none to jump into building a giant sundial or custom storage shelves. It can be learned by helping out people you know are handy, or spending time with older people who haven’t forgotten how to sew on a button or unclog a sink. Awe is the core of my curiosity and gratitude. It can be cultivated with practice- putting down your phone, slowing down your travels, and remembering that you don’t know everything. Vulnerability means I’m not afraid to ask, look silly, or make a mistake. Vulnerability is probably the hardest quality to develop, because allowing yourself to be vulnerable is contrary to what our society rewards. Probably the best way is just to try it. Wear something awkward. Ask the question even though you worry it’s dumb. Admit you forgot someone’s name. Ask for help.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I’ve had the immense fortune of being asked to participate in multiple exhibits. Knowing when and how to say no, or more accurately, recognizing which projects reflect my areas of focus and don’t detract from my overall capacity has been a major change from past ways of existing. It’s been a bit revolutionary and has enabled me to focus on my solo exhibit this summer at Manna Gallery. It opens early June 2025 in Oakland, California.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kimcardosoart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimcardosoart/

Image Credits

Kim Cardoso