KangHee Kim was tired of waiting for the magic to happen, so she created it herself.
The Brooklyn-based South Korean artist seems to constantly be chasing freedom. First from the confines of her home country’s strict academic educational system. Then from the visa restrictions that don’t allow her to leave the United States.
Her series Street Errands is a beautifully manipulated visual diary of everyday sights that typically go unappreciated. Using Photoshop KangHee Kim collages together the photos that she takes daily while running errands around New York City. Under her hand, mundane street scenes become utopian miracles.
In her world, coils of wire contain portals to alternate realms. Littered bodega coffee cups spill the sky into potholes and televisions discarded on moving day broadcast glittering lakes.
‘I take photos daily and try to not think about what comes first. The reason I like to take photos of my surroundings is that true happiness comes from accumulated small pleasures that occur in everyday life, such as finding the perfect brick tiles on a street or enjoying sunsets or beautiful scenery in the afternoon. If you try to find it from what you don’t have at the moment, it’s hard to positively utilize or enjoy the time given at the moment…’ — KangHee Kim.