How Instagram star Korean illustrator turns depression into art in black and white
- Henn Kim’s monochromatic approach is as much a style as it is therapy, and her artistic process has become a part of her self-care system
- Inspired by people like Bjork and Amy Winehouse, she says her drawings fill the gaps when words aren’t enough to describe complex human struggles
The minimalist black and white drawings of Korean illustrator Henn Kim, currently on show at Hong Kong’s Harbour City shopping centre, stand in stark contrast to the myriad neon signs that light up the Hong Kong skyline.
Her monochromatic approach is as much a style as it is therapy. Kim first started drawing with a black pen at the age of 17, around the time she started experiencing symptoms of depression.
“Channelling my feelings of depression and translating them into works of art – this process has now become part of my self-care system,” says the artist, who is now in her mid-30s.
Her evocative black and white drawings, she believes, fill in the gaps when words aren’t enough to describe complex human emotions and struggles. “To me, the reason why so many find my work relatable is because they are able to see themselves in my work, and realise that loneliness is a universal human emotion.”
