Kim Tateo

Kim Tateo is an interdisciplinary artist interested in exploring interconnectedness to ourselves, our environment, and ultimately the universe. Her work moves between releasing feelings into abstract expressions and creating magical worlds meant to be the unseen spaces where all hearts are connected. These landscapes are meant to evoke a sense of dreaming, playfulness, and peace and gently pull on the heartstrings of whimsy in all beings. She uses bright colors, glitter, and blacklight-responsive paint as an interactive way to reveal a hidden layer to remind us of the magic that is constantly surrounding us.

Tateo creates experiences for artists to connect and collaborate through collaborative painting and her “Snail Mail Art Collaboration,” a project with artists worldwide exploring impermanence through art and snail mail. She writes songs for her project Sparkle Garden and explores ephemerality and presence through improvisation with What Blooms in Moonlight, a live performance painting and sound-immersive event. She is based in Troy, New York, and has participated in various exhibitions, art fairs, shows, and public art projects in New York City, Los Angeles, and the Capital Region.

Tateo is the Executive Director and Farm Manager of Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, where she encourages people to connect with the land and each other through the garden and green spaces. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Iowa and is an MFA Candidate at the University of Albany, graduating in 2025.


Artist Statement

I am an interdisciplinary artist interested in exploring interconnectedness to ourselves, our environment, and the universe. I came into this world untethered and experienced loss at a young age. Painting very detailed worlds becomes a meditation and a place to process my feelings on death and the afterlife.

I often start a painting based on a feeling. The process is healing and often playful, and while a painting may not explicitly depict hard feelings, it is because the work itself is layered.

Creating is my way of moving through it ~ emptying a long day and challenging conversations, finding equanimity, accepting impermanence, finding inner iridescence, and radiating joy.

I use bright colors, glitter, and blacklight-responsive paint as an interactive way to reveal a hidden layer to remind us of the magic that is constantly surrounding us. While I am interested in Tibetan Buddhism and mindfulness practices, the worlds created do not belong to any hierarchy or religion.

My paintings are ponderings, meditations, spells, prayers, and dreams remembered. They are intended to evoke a sense of dreaming, playfulness, and peace and gently pull on the heartstrings of whimsy in all beings.


https://www.lookalittlecloser.com/

Can you describe the core themes and emotions you explore in your current body of work?

When I think about the themes of my work, they all come back to my main intention of creating heart medicine. I hope my work speaks to viewers and brings a remedy ~ that it can make a difference in the world.

The works in this series are about ephemerality and exploring and remembering inner light. Working with actual light as a medium has been exciting and fun. Can I bend the light into different shapes and imagine it's part of a cord of light connecting us all?

My work always has many layers of emotions, and these fabrics and light pieces allow different elements to be seen. These pieces are meant to be tactile and inviting, with hidden moments of sequins and shimmer to draw you in.

They are assembled with sewing needles and sometimes contain elements such as plant cuttings. The idea is that they are easily disassembled, reminding us of impermanence and encouraging beauty in the moment.


How does your creative process unfold from concept to completion?

I often have tons of ideas swimming around, collecting them in many journals and scraps of paper. Sometimes, an idea or material will nag at me, begging to be explored. When this happens, I purchase the materials and carve out the time to create.

Deadlines can help me to have something to work towards, but lately, I have been focusing on listening to my intuition and allowing more space and simplicity.

I have many passions and the desire to do many things, but I've learned (am learning!) that allowing more space for wandering and creative expression is essential. This meandering is what allows something to really bloom into something new.


What inspires you most outside of the visual arts, and how does it influence your work?

Music inspires me. I love a beautiful melody, a simple line, and poetry as lyrics. I've started writing music, and this is a reflection of the visual work. In a way, it's the spaces put into song.

I am also deeply inspired by nature and the lessons from plant spirit herbalism and shepherding. Tending to land and animals and honoring the relationship of both teaches me so much about cycles and being in a relationship with all living beings.

Lastly, I am also inspired by connecting with people, reflecting back another's inner goodness, and trying to imagine the heart spaces where all hearts are connected ~ this is really the deepest intention of all of my work.


How do you navigate the balance between personal expression and the commercial aspects of your career?

To be honest, I am figuring this one out and imagine it will be an ongoing unfolding.

When I am connected to my wisest self, I am reminded to just create and let go. During the creation process, I can find myself caught in the "what if's" and wondering what someone will think, whether they will like it or not.

If I am lucky to catch myself in the loop, I remind myself to breathe and bring myself to the present moment ~ the paint on the brush, the temperature in the room, my heartbeat. From this moment, I can pause and trust that the pieces will find whoever they are meant to find.

And furthermore, to really remember gratitude. For the ability to create and express myself, the space for dreaming, and the very fact that I am alive at all. When I come to this space, I forget about the commercial side of things and know that each moment is a gift, and it's this energy that I hope to bring to my work.


What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?

For the mind to quiet enough for the heart to open, just a little bit. For them to connect with the magical unknown and find endless possibilities, a sense of belonging, and a little spark of joy.