By Julia Cooper
 As observers mill about the library viewing Kani Paik’s art, the vibrant colors of “Fuschia” catch the eyes of Yumiko Kinnoshita. Julia Cooper/special to the Town Crier |
Kani Paik doesn’t need to visit a poppy field or a forest to find inspiration for her art. All of the Foothill College student’s ideas pour out of her head.
“Any abstract form that I draw comes out of my childhood,” Paik said. “With my art, I am sharing my life.”
Paik’s “Nature, Intuition & Memory” is the first solo art show offered to a student since Foothill’s founding in 1957, the same year as the artist’s birth. She said her work portrays the beauty inherent in nature, with flowers, butterflies, streams of water and trees vibrantly depicted in paintings and collages.
Paik came to the Bay Area from South Korea in 1981 but did not start her art career until 1996 when she began attending Foothill.
“I’ve always liked art, all my life,” Paik said. “But before I came here, I didn’t have any support. I came to realize I cannot live without doing anything like this for myself.”
Foothill art instructor Linda Lum encouraged Paik in particular. Lum said Paik’s quality and body of work merited a solo art show.
“The quality of her work is outstanding,” Lum said. “She’s very extraordinary.”
Paik said she got goosebumps when she discovered she was chosen for the show, an event that marks her 10 years attending the college. She received her studio arts degree last year and is currently pursuing a degree in Japanese.
The Foothill student works with various media and techniques, including pastels, watercolors, oils and collages, combining materials such as washi (Japanese rice paper) and cheesecloth. Artists Claude Monet and Georgia O’Keeffe inspired Paik’s color schemes and sense of composition and abstraction.
Foothill radiology student Robert Helwing said he appreciates Paik’s use of texture and color.
“She’s fantastic,” Helwing said. “She’s got bold colors in everything.”
“Nature, Intuition & Memory” shows through Aug. 10 at the Hubert H. Semans Library Gallery at Foothill College, 12345 S. El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Gallery hours are Mondays through Thursdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
