One sunny afternoon, I arrived at the home of artist Nicole Kang. We walked through her living room and up the stairs to her home studio. Surrounded by her paintings and works in progress, this is where Kang gets into her flow.
Kang was born in California and moved frequently in her youth, but has lived in Atlanta for around 20 years and now considers the city her home. “I really love Atlanta, I think it is so special,” she told me, citing the diversity of the community here and the city’s rich history as a home for the Civil Rights Movement.
“I think that the influence of Black movement builders here has made it easier for other communities of color to thrive here, too,” Kang continued. “There’s a huge Korean community in Gwinnett County, so I feel very much at home here.”
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Kang went to two high schools in Georgia, moved away, and then came back after a gap year to attend Oglethorpe University. She had to take a year off because her mother fell ill with leukemia, and as the eldest daughter she felt obligated to stay home and care for her family.
She filled in the gaps with her younger siblings while her father kept up the bills and overhead for their household. During this time, Kang felt lost and discouraged. “I felt like I was way behind, I was in my early twenties and feeling like I had missed out on a lot of great experiences.”
When it was finally time to apply for college, she first wanted to go to a “big, fancy art school,” but the proximity of Oglethorpe to her family made it possible for her to continue transporting her mother to treatments and caring for her siblings on the weekends. She spent every weekend with her family until they moved out of state, and she didn’t go with them. “Georgia felt like home, and college is when I became a full person,” she explained.
During this period, Kang explored the arts by way of an internship at the Chastain Arts Center and attended art events across the city. Growing up, she had always used art as a means of communication, of connection, and assimilation within the communities where she lived. When she was a kid she drew caricatures of her friends and was much more playful with her artwork at the time.
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Later, during her time at Oglethorpe, within one year Kang’s mother passed away and her boyfriend suddenly died as well. “I felt like my life was over,” said Kang. The trauma affected her coursework and it took her a long time to graduate. Comparing her situation to that of her peers, she felt envious of their careers, their romantic lives, and their freedoms.
Things only really started getting better when she met her now husband, and she picked up a brush again for the first time in a long time. “I was a great student and a prolific artist, but I just stopped,” Kang recalled. “I felt paralyzed. I couldn’t even pick up my tools, it was so rough for me.”
Despite the ups and downs of her personal life, art never stopped being important to Kang and she maintained a connection by regularly attending art shows. Though she experienced some imposter syndrome when thinking of herself as an artist, she didn’t let that stop her from keeping that influence in her life until she was ready to embrace art again.
“I felt whole as a person again, and that’s when I started making art,” she said. The first piece she made after her five year hiatus depicted a mother and child, and she hasn’t stopped painting ever since.
“Art has always been an avenue of where I could find healing,” Kang explained. “It’s a gracious space where I can step away from it. I don’t always have to be productive; I can rest in it, too.”
These days, Kang’s works explore her family history. A piece that caught my eye immediately in her studio depicts her mother as a toddler, standing in front of a lush plant growing out of the dirt and surrounded by a floral pattern. “My art has shifted drastically to focus on my cultural identity, on belonging, and on just celebrating my identity,” she told me.
In 2021 Kang was a new mom when the spa shootings happened, and she was racked with fear that she and her family might also be targeted simply for being who they are. Then, the terror gave way to fury.
“I got super angry. How is it that I feel afraid for my safety and my daughter’s safety just because we were born Asian? It’s not something I can control. That just ignited a fire in me, and I started talking more about my experience about being an Asian woman on my social media channels.”
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Kang then became involved with the Asian Advocacy Fund, where she works as a Creative Communications Manager. In her role, she curates projects that utilize art for advocacy and education. She said the work she does in her job doesn’t really feel like work, and she’s excited for opportunities to collaborate with other Asian American artists.
“Our organization understands that art can be used for advocacy especially in this political climate where people are just drained,” Kang explained. “Art is a nice grounding place where people can rest and connect.”
Last year, Kang had her first solo show at Mint Gallery. She has also completed a few murals around town, illustrated a children’s book called “The Curious Cardinal,” in addition to work with Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, We Love Buford Highway, Alliance Theatre, Gwinnett County, City of Decatur, and City of Marietta, just to name a few.
“I think Atlanta is so special. I am fighting for a seat at the table for Asian Americans to be represented in all places, but I want to start with the arts. It’s the first step to getting us there.”
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Credit: Isadora Pennington
In her own world, art has helped her to cope with her daughter’s diagnosis of Rett Syndrome, a genetic disorder that is incurable and degenerative. “I feel really angry sometimes, but I’ve always found a way to make things beautiful,” said Kang.
She uses her paintings to explore topics such as race, systemic disparities, loss, fear, and grief. “My art itself is not just about creating beautiful pieces but also about my worldview, too.”
“The connection between communities of color is so much trauma-based,” said Kang. “We can talk about trauma but it doesn’t necessarily point us to a better future. I have been talking so much about this better future – but what does that actually look like? It’s a world where everyone has a sense of belonging. Art is just one tool, it’s a very powerful one, but it’s just part of it.”
Kang says that while her daughter’s diagnosis is only the most recent in a long line of traumas, she acknowledges that she has a unique level of comfort when dealing with discomfort. “I can handle this,” she told me, leaning forward in her chair. “Her disability has taught me to advocate in different ways, and it has reshaped the way that I perceive art and accessibility.”
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Credit: Isadora Pennington
Noting that much of her artwork is on display in the public, Kang knows that this allows for greater accessibility to the messages put forth in her work.
“My art lives in so many different settings. Public spaces, galleries, in books… my audience is everyone,” she said with a laugh. “And that’s hard to narrow down sometimes when I’m working on projects.”
Kang says she wants to use her artwork to reach audiences that often are overlooked. Children, those with disabilities, immigrants, and the like. “Someone who hasn’t had their story told,” she continued.
Using art to tell the untold stories of her family and her life, Kang says it heals her and connects her to her community. “My art does travel through time, but it also travels through spirits,” she explained.
“I’m always thinking about my mom as a living person. She has passed away but she lives in me, and she’s alive through me. Isn’t that all we are, are we all that way? We are continuations of other people who have lived before us.”
Learn more about Nicole Kang and her work by visiting her website.
Credit: Rough Draft Atlanta
Credit: Rough Draft Atlanta
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