About artist Marina Kim
Marina is descended from Korean families who settled in the Far East of Russia. During Stalin’s time, they were forcibly transported to Central Asia, where Marina spent her early life.
A graduate of the prestigious Republican Art College in Uzbekistan, Marina opened her own gallery in Tashkent before moving to London. In 2001 she held her first major exhibition Beyond the Great Silk Road, at the Arndean Gallery in Mayfair. Soon after, she and her husband Tim Roche moved to Rye where they opened the Roche Gallery, which celebrated its twentieth year in 2022.
Marina works in most traditional media, applying herself with equal facility to oils, acrylics, watercolour, tempera, pencil, and ink. She also makes prints using a variety of techniques – drypoint, etching, aquatint – and specialises in mezzotints, of which there are many examples in the gallery.
However, it is portraiture that allows Marina to bring together all the strands of her artistic knowledge and experience. This genre utilises all her skills, as well as her insights and knowledge of human experience. She has completed numerous portrait commissions in recent years in a wide range of styles and media: formal paintings in oils and acrylics; informal oil, watercolour and pencil sketches – especially of infants and young children; monotypes in “pop art” style.
Artist’s CV
1970 Born in Syr Daria, Uzbekistan
1998 Graduated from the Republican Art College, Tashkent
1999 Exhibition of ethnic Korean artists at Uzbekistan Academy of Art
2001Beyond the Great Silk Road: People and Legends, Arndean Gallery, LondonRoyal West of England Academy Summer Show, Bristol
2002 Representation – Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston
2004 Chomé Gallery, Bath
2006 Lloyds TSB Investors – Belmont House
2009 Bath Fine ArtSociety of Women Artists, Mall Galleries, London
2010 In Your Face – Blackheath Gallery1st Battle Contemporary Fine Art FairRye Society of ArtistsSaffron Gallery, Battle
2011 Figuratively Speaking – Blackheath GallerySpring Show – Blackheath GalleryRye Society of Artists2nd Battle Contemp. Fine Art Fair – Winner, Best Original Print AwardChristmas Show – Blackheath GalleryNorthcote Gallery, Battersea
2012 Print 2012 – Blackheath GalleryPURE Books – A chapter in the book “What’s The Story?” – Artists talking about original printmaking
2013 New Year 2013 – Blackheath Gallery
2015 Portrait of Elaine Robertson – added to Rye Art Gallery Permanent Collection
2018 Artist in Residence for Rye Arts Festival
2020 New York Satellite Print Fair – Winter
2021 New York Satellite Print Fair 2021 – Spring and SummerWest Coast Print Fair, Portland, OregonWorldWide Prints Project – selected artistInternational Print Centre New York – New Prints 2021/Summer – Headline image; Recipient of a Coursework AwardCentre for Contemporary Printmaking – 13th Biennial International Miniature Print41st Mini Print International of CadaquésFBA “Figurative Art Now”RA Summer Exhibition 2021RE International Original Print Exhibition 2021New York Satellite Print Fair 2021 – AutumnThe Tub Hackney Print FairWoolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2021East London Printmakers Annual Festival of Prints 2021
202242nd Mini Print International of Cadaqués, 2022“Exquisite Corpse” group show at Jill Krutick Fine Art Gallery, Mamaroneck, NYRetrospective exhibition of portraits “A Portrait of Rye” at ROCHE Gallery, Rye