Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Kor.
Hi Olivia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My art enriches the physical, intellectual, and emotional spirit within each individual. Since December 2019, I have been working with natural geodes and crystal formations that both help amplify the viewers’ expression and free any emotional captivity. It was perfect timing due to quarantine which really allowed me to focus on this new type of art. My art strives to complement the viewer’s self-care, and also strives to transform the space that it is displayed in. While some crystals are said to alleviate stress, others purportedly improve concentration or creativity. Over the past years, using crystals as a form of self-care has risen in popularity, appearing all over social media, yoga studios, and perhaps even on people’s desks.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every moment has it learning curves. I have learned so much about the art process, business process and my own personal self. I never knew how much this would make me find myself.
I have had many challenges including resin trial and errors, shipping malfunctions, and my own mental health. But at the end of the day it has all benefited me. I always turn the negatives into positives in order to keep moving forward
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Much of my work focuses on mixing color pigment with the resin to seal the fire glass and crystals into the canvas. The result of this process creates a geode inspired art piece. The work takes on various forms that intend to draw in the viewer as both an observer, and a participant. The flexibility of the resin’s characteristics provide a variety of canvases to perform my mixed media art on. Moreover, the use of glitter, sparkles, real or artificial crystals, and metallic paint help intensify the colors in the geode cracks. Besides canvases, I have transformed and modernized second-hand trays, coasters, tables, and skateboards which has attracted a diverse audience to my exhibitions at Moxy, Clown Glass, and on my social media accounts.
My decision to continue as a mixed-media artist was encouraged by all of the positive responses that I received on my social media artist pages. I found that the process of learning how to photograph, editing videos, finding the perfect song to compliment my art, and stitching it all together was just as satisfying as creating the art piece itself. Editing the video to highlight and ensure I displayed my art in the best way possible was, I realized, another form of art. The responses to the visuals and videos were overwhelmingly positive. I received messages from amateur artists from countries such as France, Germany, and Afghanistan all stating how my art inspired them to experiment with resin. These responses provided me with an epiphany – that I was part of a growing community of local artists passionate about using resin and crystals as a form of expression and self-care.
As I continue my journey as a mixed-media artist, I will look for avenues of the unexpected. I want to create ironic twists to images or objects that are unexpected and provoke viewers to see things in a different way. I want to continue promoting the synthesis of art and spiritual self-care. But more importantly, I want to continue to be inspired and to give inspiration to self-taught artists that are in search of creative outlets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Who you know is truly key. I reach out to people who I think would be a good connection and I introduce myself as a local Minneapolis artist. That’s how I got involved with The Dayton’s Project. I was reading the Startribune about the opening of the Dayton’s project, that displayed the Curator’s name. From there I located the curator on Instagram and introduced myself through direct message. I hadn’t heard back from the curator until a couple of weeks or months later, the week of the grand opening of Daytons asking if I would like to partake with part of the market. I gladly accepted and moved in within 24 hours of accepting. To me, that was good luck.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://nemaa.org/artists/live4livartwork-olivia-kor/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live4livartwork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/live4livartwork
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@live4livartwork?lang=en
