Hi, I’m Kimbal.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist based in London. I work across drawing, painting, sound, performance and video, both as solo practice and in participatory projects. My artistic practice stems from my background in participatory performance art, and my fascination with maps. Broadly speaking, my works are abstract representations and re-imaginings of real, imagined, and internal spaces and places, framed by a material and conceptual investigation into layers and layering.

My paintings and drawings are made via a process of layering, overlapping, re-working and erasing, as if simultaneously constructing and excavating an imaginary landscape. Each new layer is a response to the last and the work emerges as a trace of my dialogue with the materials. I use mixed media to make my visual artworks, primarily with layers of oil paint mixed with varnish, and more recently with acrylic and coloured pencil. My work is characterised by swathes of deep vibrant colour, playful mark making and complex imaginary spaces into which I invite viewers to dive in and explore. I draw inspiration from looking at architectural details, and I use mark making as a tool to tune into sonic textures and the sense of touch.

Central to my work is the notion of a body in a space and capturing how it feels to be somewhere.  I’m interested in the process of transforming the physical, material and sonic properties of specific locations, as well as the stories and memories they embody, into artworks. Aside from my visual artworks, I transform recorded audio samples into site-specific music, I create video works that document transitional journeys and notions of home, and I use drawing in participatory performances and workshops as a tool to tune in to, and map, sensory and embodied experiences.

CV

Workshops

Aside from making art, I lead creative workshops both for adults and children. My workshops cover practical skills in painting and drawing, offering insights into ways of making abstract art and/or introductions to more exploratory practices such as sensory drawing, sensory exploration and participatory mapping.

I am currently teaching painting and drawing courses via York Learning and Rosetta Arts for adult learners. Following the example of modern and contemporary abstract artists, including my own work, learners start off with observational drawing, abstracting from visual stimuli, and progressively move on towards more intuitive and expressive ways of making art. During the course learners develop their own visual language through experimentations with drawing and painting using a range of wet and dry media.

Please contact me for more information.

Diving into colour. Abstract art class

Diving into colour. Abstract art class

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Workshop at Buurtatelier, Amsterdam

Workshop at Buurtatelier, Amsterdam

Sensory drawing

Sensory drawing

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Exploring my painting at the Buurtatelier

Exploring my painting at the Buurtatelier

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Teaching for York Learning (Photo: Scott Turner)

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Lightbox maps workshop at Amsterdam Public Library

Camberwell Chalk Map

Camberwell Chalk Map

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Participatory neighbourhood mapping. Royal Docks, London (photo: Tian Khee Siong)

Sensory drawing workshop

Sensory drawing workshop

Unmapping workshop

Unmapping workshop

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Exploratory mapping workshop, Twiza, Tunis

Sensory experiences workshop

Sensory experiences workshop

Sensory experiences workshop

Sensory experiences workshop

Sensory experiences workshop

Sensory experiences workshop

Exploring the neighbourhood with a drawing

Exploring the neighbourhood with a drawing

Exploring the neighbourhood with a drawing

Exploring the neighbourhood with a drawing

Blindfolded street walk, Brighton

Blindfolded street walk, Brighton

Sonic Mapping Workshop at Kings College London

Sonic Mapping Workshop at Kings College London