Collection: Esther Kim

Esther Kim, known as DOË, is a Korean-Canadian artist whose work explores the layered relationship between nature and human experience. Based in Toronto and a graduate of OCAD University, she draws on her early years in British Columbia, where the forests, coastlines, and changing skies became a lasting source of creative and emotional grounding. 

Her practice is rooted in painting but often expands beyond the two-dimensional. Using acrylics and a mix of mediums, Esther builds textured surfaces with playful gestures—sometimes squeezing paint from the tube like icing, at other times sculpting with a custom lightweight clay to introduce dimensionality. The result is a visual language that blends the tactile with the tender. 

Her work is marked by bold, saturated colours and flattened, collage-like compositions that evoke the clarity and wonder of a storybook. Yet beneath their cheerful palette lies a deeper meditation on connection, memory, and the ways we make sense of the world around us. 

Esther’s paintings have been exhibited in both solo and group settings and featured at major fairs such as The Artist Project and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF). Her work has been recognized with several distinctions from TOAF, including the Best of Painting (2021), The Power Plant Emerging Artist Award (2022), and Best of Online Fair (2024). 

Through an evolving practice grounded in both material experimentation and emotional honesty, Esther continues to create works that invite reflection, offering viewers a space where joy and complexity quietly meet.