Printmaker

My name is Jini Veenker (Jini Kimchi) and I’m primarily a printmaker. I am originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and moved to Colorado in 2021. My work embodies my personal spirituality and my Korean heritage. Before the pandemic, I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Painting but shifted my focus to printmaking after.

What made you want to join Art Gym? I enjoy the clean, organized facility. Art Gym fosters a productive, hard-working, professional environment. It also helps that all of the members and workers seem to be focused on similar goals.

How has Art Gym helped with your art practice? I literally do all of my printing here. I wouldn’t be able to run my business without a space like this.

What are you hoping to communicate through your work? I truly believe we all are connected in a way that can’t be seen by the bare eye and we all have metaphysical strength. This is why we pray or meditate or ask our loved ones to send good vibes. I draw things that come from a place of nostalgia or lucid familiarity. Everything I make is derived from a deep-rooted part of myself whether it’s a three-foot introspective portrait or a tiny linocut of a cute spider. The nostalgic quality seems to resonate with many and even some of the most unlikely people. It is rewarding to watch people from all walks of life become enamored with my work.

Who and/or what are some of your biggest artistic influences? Kristen Liu-Wong, Albrecht Durer, Roger Shimomura, Kara Walker, John Singer Sargent, Polly Nor, Carlos Barberena, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Artemisia Gentileschi, Gustave Courbet.

What does your artwork mean to you? Jini Kimchi is not just a cute take on my maiden name (Jini Kim). I chose to use the word kimchi for a specific reason. Kimchi is a potent, nourishing, fermented gift from Korean soil. True nurture is absolutely necessary but it’s not always comforting. Being genuinely nurturing means getting rid of toxins, whether it’s mental or physical. True nurture is confrontational and unapologetic. It forces you to become healthier, like kimchi.

During the time of the pandemic, there was so much hate spewed at Asian people. It was so disappointing as well as terrifying. When I sell a print to an ecstatic buyer, it makes me feel like I am diminishing toxic, xenophobic mindsets little by little. My prints work in the same fashion as kimchi. I aspire to expunge toxicity.