A Letter to Our Collectors - introducing JAY KIM

Dear Collector,

I would like to introduce you to JAY KIM, whose work you might find rare and compelling, and complementary to your TIM CHURCH art. JAY KIM is a man of genuine creative vision, a self-taught patina artist whose pioneering work on brass is now on view at Wiford Gallery Santa Fe.

JAY KIM was not trained as an artist. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, he built a distinguished career in international commerce — earning his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Yonsei University before holding positions with LG Group and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. His relocation to the United States awakened dormant creative instincts, first expressed through a niche handmade handbag brand celebrated for its natural materials and sculptural design.

The turning point came during the development of an exquisite rattan basket handbag woven by native artisans in Borneo. Frustrated by the lifeless, mass-produced metal hardware available for his design, JAY KIM made a pivotal decision: to create his own. What began as a practical solution became an all-consuming artistic practice — and the discovery of a medium that would define his life’s work.

Through years of independent experimentation, JAY KIM developed a methodology in flamed patina and engraving on brass that is regarded as both authentic and unprecedented in contemporary metal art. A fuming process lasting hours or days permanently sets his patterns. He then engraves along the veins, once again unveiling the gold beneath the turquoise patina. The results are simultaneously geological and biological, ancient and immediate.

JAY KIM presents himself not as a storyteller, but as one who conveys narratives already written by the cosmos. “Metals came from space,” he writes. Patina techniques using flame evoke the imagination of the universe’s origin through the unimaginable heat of supernovas. The metal unveils its surprising stories that have been kept since the beginning of time.” The exposed golden brass beneath expresses the transcendent dimension we all share. 

Each piece is a unique revelation — no two flames burn the same way, no two solutions branch identically. Every work is, in the deepest sense, unrepeatable.

The works now on view at Wiford Gallery Santa Fe represent the full maturation of JAY KIM’s vision — pieces where corporate discipline has been transformed into artistic mastery, where a self-taught artist has achieved what formal training alone could never have produced: a truly original voice in contemporary metal art. As a collector who already understands the value of work that cannot be replicated, we believe you will find JAY KIM’s brass paintings deeply resonant.

We warmly invite you to visit the gallery or to contact us for images, availability, and pricing. We would be delighted to introduce you to this work in person.

With warm regards,