Artist Insights: Kayoon Anderson

22nd December 2023 by Clare McNamara 6

As part of our Artist Insights film series, Korean-British painter Kayoon Anderson visits Jackson’s studio to discuss how pattern underpins her work, her technique for planning the compositions of her paintings, and how Italian Gothic art and Korean Munbangdo painting have influenced her practice.

Artist Insights: Kayoon Anderson

0:00 Introduction

0:26 “Some Painters Are Like Architects, and Others Are Like Gardeners”

0:59 Kayoon’s Background in Architecture

1:22 Pursuing Painting in Italy

1:50 Bringing a Sense of Quiet and Calm in Painting

2:43 Choosing Which Figures to Bring into a Painting

3:05 Using Photoshop as a Compositional Tool

3:44 Projecting the Composition Onto Canvas

4:15 Being Open to the Character of Paint

4:37 Finding a Balance Between Three-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional

5:17 The Versatility of Oil Paint

5:29 How Kayoon Selects Her Colour Palette

6:09 Her Relationship With the Colour Blue

6:43 Kayoon’s Preferred Mediums, Brushes, and Surfaces

7:57 “Both Figurative and Abstract Works Have To Answer the Same Questions”

8:27 Depth and Space in Korean Munbangdo Painting

9:10 Stillness and Pattern in Italian Gothic Art

10:44 How Mindset Sets the Tone for Painting

11:07 Kayoon’s Perfect Painting Environment

11:46 “I Don’t Like To Be Hungry When I’m Painting!”

12:11 Kayoon’s Guilty Pleasure

12:37 Credits

About Kayoon Anderson

Kayoon Anderson (b. 1997, Seoul) is a London-based artist working with oil paint on canvas. She depicts figures in simple surroundings without a clear distinction between the two. Taking inspiration from traditional Korean munbangdo paintings and Italian Gothic art, she aims to present calm and grounded environments. Most recently, Kayoon’s work has been looking back at her childhood in a multi-cultural home. She is a member of the Contemporary British Portrait Painters.

Follow Kayoon on Instagram

Visit Kayoon’s website