Artist Profile
Kim Emerson has been designing and creating fine mosaic art for public and private spaces since 1991.
A self described “busy child,” she believes she was born an artist, but that realization came later in life.
Initially guided by practical concerns about building a sustainable career, Kim pursued a strong academic foundation, earning a Bachelor of Arts with a focus in Humanities and Art and Architectural History, as well as a Master of Science in Historic Preservation of Architecture from the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts. A formative year studying in Salzburg, Austria through the University of Portland, followed by extensive travel throughout Western and Eastern Europe, deeply influenced her artistic perspective. Travel, both domestic and international, continues to inform her work through exposure to diverse cultures, landscapes, and architectural traditions.
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Before establishing Kim Emerson Mosaics, LLC in 2004, she gained professional experience at O’Connell Gallery in Portland, architect Milford Wayne Donaldson, F.A.I.A. (now Heritage and Planning) in San Diego, and with renowned artist James Hubbell in the mountains of Santa Ysabel, California.
Her specialization in historic preservation and public art has led to extensive collaboration with architects, designers, municipalities, nonprofits, contractors, engineers, fabricators, schools, galleries, and museums, allowing her work to thoughtfully integrate art, architecture, and place.
Her largest commissions & significant projects are located in some of the following places:
CARLSBAD, CA, USA
CERRITOS, CA, USA
Couer d’ Alene, ID, USA
EL CAJON, CA, USA
FRESNO, CA, USA
HAWTHORNE, CA, USA
LOS ALTOS, CA, USA
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA
LOS GATOS, CA, USA
LOS TUXTLAS, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
PHoenix, AZ, USA
Ploaghe, Sardinia, Italy
National City, CA, USA
San Diego, CA, USA
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
TORRANCE, CA, USA
Worcester, MA, USA
Kim has participated in a multiple of international mosaic art conferences, working symposiums, and her work is included in collections abroad, as well as in the City of San Diego’s Civic Art Collection. Kim is a member of various mosaic artist organizations, such as the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA), the Contemporary Mosaic Art2 (CMA2), the Mosaic Artists of Australia & New Zealand (MAANZ), and the British Association for Modern Mosaic (BAMM). Her work has been shown in exhibitions and special projects around the globe.
Artist Philosophy
“Expression as a visual artist for me comes through the medium of mosaic art in the form of public murals, three-dimensional sculpture, small format intimate gallery works, and wearable jewelry. For every project I create, I always consider the ancient language of mosaics while building the lines of color and space. Depending on the project, my work can be either functional or purely aesthetic and symbolic. Mosaics are like textured paintings that reflect light, shadows, texture, depth, and color. I gravitate towards using intense colors to express passion and energy, or soft shades to share emotion. I often start the design phase with a scaled watercolor rendering. During the assembly phase of working, I mindfully cut certain shapes of glass, stone, or ceramic, and arrange my cut tesserae one piece at a time. I often incorporate elements from nature or fun found objects into my designs
Even though some works are planned and many projects are spontaneous, every single tesserae is considered and contemplated as to where and how it best fits into the overall design. I assemble my patterns of tesserae in a way that creates something representational or abstract, and intentionally to be in harmony with itself or within its surrounding environment. My public works are designed to be site specific, and my challenge is to build them with the landscape or existing architectural design, thus reflecting a community. For my personal work, I draw upon my own inner abstract landscapes of inspiration and feeling. For every piece, I strive to create my work as fine art that has an emotional connection, which tells a story beyond what is noticed in the selection of materials, adhesives, and substrates.”