Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Heard.
Kimberly, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My relationship with art was established in an interesting way. It wasn’t outright, it gradually increased over time. I enjoyed drawing early in my life, but I won’t say I was passionate. It was a passive enjoyment that filled my time when I was at a loss for things to do. It was only after my first year in college that I decided to pursue a career as a visual artist.
My parents had moved our family to Birmingham, AL and I had recently graduated high school. I decided to major in business marketing but I really struggled to grasp the content in my ‘Intro to Microeconomics’ course so I was considering changing my major. Like, I seriously struggled; I attempted to complete that course three times and failed, every time. I was also ill at the time, even hospitalized at one point, and working 50 hrs a week at my job. So, I’ve come to look back on this failure with a bit of grace that I hadn’t given myself then. After being released from the hospital, I was placed on bed-rest for a week or so. I spent that time doing what I enjoyed doing; I drew.
Eventually, I recovered and I decided I would pause school to save money, move back to San Diego, and work my ass off to get into the best school I could that offered a serious art program. That school ended up being the University of California, San Diego where I recently graduated Cum Laude with Department Honors in Visual Arts. Since graduating, I’ve had the opportunity to show my work in my first solo exhibition in La Jolla as well as in galleries, like the Lux Art Institute, and a few museums. I have a painting that is currently on display at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Museum in OH.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve definitely run into some major challenges along the way. For example, the Bachelor’s degree I mentioned earlier took me ten years to attain. I was ineligible for aid, so I started community college and I got a job. I needed a car, so I took more hours at work to save for one. I became ill so I worked more to pay for that too. I failed my courses, so I took them again. I reached my end, both physically and psychologically, so I started all over again. I have this persistent patience. Like, I can endure the slow burn of my will without losing sight of what I want or giving in. I am not passive with my goals. I plan. I research. I even journal about my current projects and concepts on my blog at www.rdkcreator.com. I just try to prepare myself as best as I can so that whenever my moment arrives I can take it with confidence.
Please tell us about your art.
I work interdisciplinarily, but I am most known for my large scale figural drawings. My largest piece is graphite drawing on canvas that is about 5ft in height and a little over 18ft wide. It features an almost indistinguishable collage of figures from present day and history that overlap one another. There’s soemthing about the scale of the work that really pulls me in. I get so lost in the lines that, even while I’m working, I have to step back and catch my breath. I gessoed the canvas black and the lines of graphite shimmer against the surface in a really beautiful way that is often muted on white surfaces. I often mix other mediums, like sharpies and conte crayons. I’m even mixing my own graphite oil sticks now and testing some other alternative materials.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Honestly, so many! From family members to friends, to professors, to colleagues. Just, ugh, so many people and so much love. Each of them carried me in one way or the other and the stories could run for days so I’ll name them as I best I can:
Andrew Oppong
Carl & Velma Bryant
The Bridges family
The Matthews family
Demetrice Davis
Walanda Johnson
The Yeargin family
Amy Adler
Monique VanGenderen
Aitor Lajarin
Ruben Ortiz Torres
Brianna Rigg
And most of all my parents for giving me this eventful life. Thank you, for everything!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rdkcreator.com
- Phone: 205-434-5102
- Email: rdkcreator@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rdk_creator/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.heard.90
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