Bio & CV — KIM CARDOSO

Portrait of Kim Cardoso in a black shirt, smiling in front of one of her blue paintings

Kim Cardoso (b. 1969) is a visual artist interested in longing and communication. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, she received her degree in art and psychology, then worked as a job coach for adults with mental illness and as a metalsmith, showing wearable sculpture in galleries along the Eastern Seaboard. In the mid 1990’s, she heeded an inexplicable calling and moved west to become a midwife. Taken by the landscape and people in the SF Bay Area, she made California her new home. At an art retreat in 2013, Kim found the encaustic medium. Her paintings have been exhibited across the US and are collected internationally. In 2021, the International Encaustic Artists awarded her a grant to further her 1000 Series about California's volcanic landscape. She lives with her family on an urban farm in Oakland, California, paints at the Norton Factory Studios, and continues to work part time in community health.

STATEMENT

I am an extrovert in a complex world trying to find quiet, so my work is a pursuit of stillness. I capture the belonging I feel in nature as a way to process this modern life. Relating to my formal training as a metalsmith and working with my hands as a midwife, I love the physicality of my materials. I savor the craft-like method of encaustic painting: construction, fire, carving, and rebuilding. The movements of painting itself make the work therapeutic, and the texture and smell of the encaustic medium recall earth and skin, encouraging me to explore that relationship. I know my work is complete when it feels familiar and sensual and evokes connectedness.

EXHIBITS

2023 Apr 19- May 17 Ingrained, Ji | The Atelier, Oakland, CA

2024 Mar 8- Apr 30 Changing the Narrative, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA

2024 Mar 16- April 28 Explorations in Monochromatic Art , Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA

2024 Jan 25- May 16 The Mills Building Lobby Exhibition, Artsource, San Francisco CA

2023 Select West 2023 Garvey|Simon, San Anselmo, CA

2023 The Space Between, Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA

2023 Ephemeral / Ephemera Mulranny Arts, County Mayo, Ireland.

2023 Business Card Art Show JKR Gallery, Provo, UT

2023 Roundtable Collaboration Postal Collage No. 12, Berkeley, CA

2023 tiny. Two Cats Gallery, El Cerrito, CA

2023 Call & Response: Art & Poetry. O”Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA

2023 Big Names Small Art, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA

2023 Art After Dark. Edna Contemporary, San Luis Obispo, CA

2023 Ritual Open. DeWitt Clinton Park, New York City, NY

2023 The Wind Walked With Her: Kim Cardoso, Eileen S. Moderbacher, & Wanda Westberg, SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2023 Convergence: The Intersection of Wax, Color, & Design. Village Theater Art Gallery, Danville CA

2023 East Bay Open Studios at the Norton Factory Studios

2023 Hot & Cold: Wax Artists of California, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA

2023 Member’s Show, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA

2022 2 Studio Pop Up, Oakland, CA

2022 14th Annual 50|50 Show, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA

2022 Abstract Squared, Square Foot Show

2022 Ritual Open. Oxon Run Park, Washington, DC

2022 The Wild Side: California Women Celebrate the Untamed, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2022 Silent Art Auction & Big Names Small Art, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA

2022 Slopes of Diablo, Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA

2022 Convergence, Art Center Morro Bay, Morro Bay, CA

2022 Shimmer, June Steingart Art Gallery, Laney College, Oakland, CA

2022 SF Bay Area Artists for Ukraine, SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2022 The Dark of Night, Artist Alliance, Santa Fe, NM

2022 All Shapes & Sizes, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT

2022 Your True Colors, Escondido Arts Partnership, Escondido, CA

2022 Postcard Exhibition, Artlink, Fort Wayne, IN

2021 Sweet & Sour, Artist Alliance, Santa Fe, NM

2021 Starry Starry Night, BHA Gallery, Canada

2021 Painting at Night, Artlink & Artist/Mother Podcast, Fort Wayne, IN

2021 Metamorphosis, Tubac Center for the Arts, Tubac, AZ

2021 Hope, Roaring Artist Gallery

2021 Local Inspiration, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA

2021 Global Warming is Real, Museum of Encaustic Art, Cerrillos, NM

2021 Business Card Art Show, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT

2017 In Flawed Abundance, New Art Center, Newton, MA

2016 Annual Trunk Show, Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA

2016 Our Town, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA

2016 Third Annual Juried Show, Piedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont, CA

2015 Solo Show, Chowhaus, Oakland, CA

2015 Collect! Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA

2014 Shelter, Art Works Downtown, San Rafael, CA

1995 Beauty is Strangely Familiar, Resurgam Gallery, Baltimore, MD

1994 the elements, Resurgam Gallery, Baltimore, MD

1993 Silver Anniversary Celebration of American Crafts, Creative Arts Workshop, CT

1993 Invitational, Carroll County Arts Council, Westminster, MD

1992 City Visions, Harborplace & the Gallery, Baltimore, MD

EDUCATION

1998 MS, Nurse Midwifery, University of California, San Francisco

1991 BA in Art & Psychology, McDaniel College, MD

1991 Kenya- Coastal Studies Program, School for International Training

. . .

Mendocino Art Center. Encaustic Intensive with Sue Stover

Esalen, Big Sur, Ca. Writing Poems with Sue Wheeler

Sharon Art Studio, San Francisco. Ceramics

School 33 Art Center, Baltimore, MD. Monotype

Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD. Enameling

WORK IN THE ARTS

Founding Member, Resurgam Cooperative Gallery

Craft exhibit Co-chair & Juror, Read Street Festival, Baltimore, MD

Photojournalist, Art In Progress, Baltimore, MD

Art Facilitator, Carroll County Therapeutic Recreation, Westminster, MD

Student Director, Gallery One, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD

SPARKS & STORIES

In the Fall of 2023, Jigisha and I started talking about our creative and community goals. Her exquisite @ji.the.atelier offers items for home and self, and she designs the textiles. I wanted to show my paintings in her shop, so we started a conversation about the color palettes we love in Northern California. I took home some sample images of The Atelier, combined them with my collection of landscape photography, and went to my studio to paint. I didn't end up with the abstract landscapes I expected. Instead I let the wood grain on my birch panels lead the way. This process of shared inspiration and letting go became INGRAINED. . We're hosting an opening reception on Friday, April 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 at Ji | The Atelier, 6134 Medau Pl. in charming Montclair Village, Oakland, CA. I will also be there on Sunday April 21 from 12 to 2 for conversation. The twelve paintings will be available through May 17. I hope you can visit the shop! . Want a preview? Go to my website kimcardosoart.com . . #kimcardosoart #kimcardoso #jitheatelier #montclairvillage #encaustic #iea_encaustic #californiaartist #nortonfactorystudios #ingrained #artstudio #bayareaartists #artistlife #griefart #narrativeart #californiapalette #contemporaryart #interiordesign #homedecor #bayareadesigners #love #contemplation #neutraldecor #naturaldecor #bayareadesign #northerncaliforniaartist

WAAAH! I haven't been able to go to my studio for five days while holed up at home with a nasty cold. This is my first significant illness since early 2020, and I'm not liking it one bit. I have totally dodged COVID and everything else these years (negative again today), so I've been feeling very proud of my immune system -and 6 vaccines. And now this chest- nose - head thing. Ugh. I am not any good at just lying around. I've barely been feeling well enough to read or scroll, although I did watch all of Anatomy of a Fall last night. Powerful! As you can see, I'm just here today to whine and socialize. I AM getting better! 💪 . The corner posed here is a peek at my new series, which I'll show more of in the next two weeks leading up to the opening on Friday April 19 in Oakland. Today, the cropped image represents feeling boxed in. Watch my stories for more 👁️ . . . . #sickday #missingmystudio #onthemend #kimcardosoart #encaustic #walnutframe #whining

Explorations in Monochromatic Art is @artsbenicia for three more weeks. Go see this show juried by @leahmartharosenberg not only because the work is great, but also because the historic building is gorgeous and the town is cute! If you can't get out there, you can check out the show online via the link in my bio. 1. Mother and Child 3 and 4. Oil on paper 15 x 11 in 2. Those high ceilings! 3. Happy painter 4. @annemrabe and her gorgeous piece 5. Supportive friend @nichenica (and those floors!) 6. Complex work by @maryorossculpture 7. Afternoon light in the mansion. . . . . #kimcardosoart #kimcardoso #californiaartist #westcoastart #nortonfactorystudios #artstudio #bayareaartists #artistlife #artsbenicia #monochromatic #griefart #contemporaryart #paintingonpaper #blue #artistssupportingartists #interiordesign #homedecor #bayareadesigners

It's been 5 years since my last trip to Brazil to see my husband's family. Before the pandemic, we visited almost annually, which means I've been here nearly 20 times. I don't know if it's because of the gap in time or because we lost both of his parents since 2020, but I have a heightened awareness on this trip. In Brazil, I... -- Get out of the driver's seat (literally and figuratively) -- Talk less -- Listen more carefully -- See with more curiosity (these ants!!) -- Take more naps -- Drink more coffee -- Eat more fruit and vegetables -- Hang out in larger groups -- Quiet my brain when I'm alone -- Get closer to understanding the family and culture that shaped my husband and lives within our children. Let's see what parts follow me home.🍃 #kimcardosoart #kimcardoso #travelreflections #notatourist #brasil🇧🇷

Today marks ONE YEAR since I moved into @nortonfactorystudios !! 🙌Renting a studio outside my home was no small decision. It was definitely time to move off the covered porch and into a space that didn't require fair weather to paint. While considering a change, I sold a painting that would cover six month's rent, and that sale gave me the confidence to invest in myself. Since I moved in, I held 2 open studios, was in 15 exhibits, formed new relationships with consultants and designers, published an article, sold 18 more paintings, and connected with a community of talented and supportive artists. In a year of personal and global heartache, my studio has been a glorious place of self care. I'm so proud I took the leap!

I make stress melt away by laying down waxy paint then heating it with a flame. I love to see what one color does on top of or under another, or how much heat is too much. It's play, which is important for adults. We forget, we prioritize other things, we are too tired. Creative play revives energy and focuses the mind and heart. Friday was a studio day, but I was on my computer for hours. I responded to my patients lab results and questions, updated my art database, joined SF ArtSpan, and applied to a show. By evening, I was grumpy. Saturday and Sunday are in the studio. I'm so glad I found my way back. . . . #KimCardoso #kimcardosoart #artreel #studiotime #encaustic #sfbayareaart #californiaartist #oaklandartist #nortonfactorystudios #iea_encaustic #abstract #dots #reelartwork #studioview #reelsinstagram #painting #paintingwithfire #meditation #artheals #inherstudiomagazine #midwifeandartist #artasmedicine

Two weeks after my mother died, I was back in my California studio trying to paint. Her death at 76 was unexpected, so there was no relief from suffering for any of us. There was - is- only loss. I couldn't create. The way to start doing something is to start-- to put one foot in front of the other, put a pencil to paper. So I tore out a bunch of sheets of paper, mixed up my mother's favorite color, and made a mark on each paper. They were all so lonely, so I added a second mark. She is always with me. Mother and Child 3 Mother and Child 4 oil on paper 15 x 11 in It is an honor to share these intimate works in Explorations in Monochromatic Art @artsbenicia . Many thanks to juror @leahmartharosenberg for including me in this beautifully curated exhibit. The OPENING is today, Saturday, March 16 from 4 to 6 PM in the mansion at 1 Commandants Lane in historic Benicia, CA. The show is hanging until April 28, and up the gorgeous staircase there are two excellent exhibits of California plein air painting- which my mom would have absolutely loved.

Repetitive mark making gets me in a flow state. I'm building the layers on this one -and then will carve it back to reveal some magic. 🪄 I used this technique a lot when I was first learning to work with encaustic. I moved on to other favorite techniques but remembered it when I started my Handiwork series. Handiwork draws attention to the repetitive movements found in needlework, knitting, quilting, and other textile crafts typically done by women around the globe. 🪡 Lately, I've been about how the textile objects created can be functional as well as beautiful, and the making of them gives moments of respite from days filled with other kinds of work. This is what painting does for me- it is a balm in my life. 🌌 What is your balm? . #workinprogress #kimcardosoart #markmaking #flowstate #artstudio #studiovibes #artreel #handiwork #textileinspired #dots #balm #women

📣 TODAY, March 9, 4-6:30 in Palo Alto is the opening of Changing the Narrative at the Pacific Art League. Juror @dewittcheng chose works that showcase evolving ways artists incorporate story into their work. The exhibit is up until April 30. 📣 March 16, 4 -6 pm in Benicia is the opening of Explorations in Monochromatic Art at Arts Benicia. Juror @leahmartharosenberg chose works made in a single hue, inviting the viewer to focus on shape, composition, and form. The exhibit is up until April 28. 📣 I'm so happy to be in both shows, and I'll be at both openings! I would love to see you there. You can find more details in the link in my bio ⬆️

🏋️&zwj;♀️ On International Women's Day, I want to share my pride and gratitude. I have a life of balance as a mother, midwife, and artist thanks in great part to the women in my life. My grandmother and mother were Estonian refugees who made lives o

🏋️‍♀️ On International Women's Day, I want to share my pride and gratitude. I have a life of balance as a mother, midwife, and artist thanks in great part to the women in my life. My grandmother and mother were Estonian refugees who made lives of stability and adventure, setting examples of grit and humor. My daughter is a soulful woman becoming a mathematician, reflecting and teaching me every day. My friends listen and lift me up. In my work in community health, I provide medical care to women from all over the world. The privilege of their trust and stories opens my eyes. 🙌 Today, please celebrate YOU, women of all kinds, means, and aspirations! 💪 🧶 The painting pictured here is from my series Handiwork which has a focus on the creation of the marks themselves. Hearing the cadenced click of knitting needles or the paced pulling of thread, I make repeated movements with paint. Through this process, I recall the ceremony of needlework and collective samplers and quilts, sharing and passing down a heritage- remembered or not, along the way. 🗞️ One more thing, I popped an article I wrote about reproductive freedom when Roe v Wade was struck down and two poems about birth in my link in bio ⬆️. They are little windows into my world. OK, that's it 😘

I'm proud to announce that my painting "Laughing Hysterically 1" has been accepted into the @iea_encaustic upcoming exhibit "Changing the Narrative" @pacificartleague in Palo Alto, California! 🌟 Dive into a world where art tells stories! Featuring works in encaustic & cold wax juried by critic & curator @dewittcheng 🗓️ Reception: Saturday, March 9th (4 - 6:30pm) 📅 Exhibition: March 8 - April 30, 2024 📍Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA You can preview the show from the link in my bio.

Sometimes a little light and breeze are just what I need. What small moments ease you in tough times?

Increasingly more of my time in the studio, I am in contemplation. Gone is the feeling of needing to rush all the time. Sometimes the pace is for a deadline or because of a busy week, but usually the ideas and feelings are rushing out of me. I am learning that holding those urges to get it out - tumbling them around in my head and heart and thinking about them in relation to paintings I've already made - produces more satisfying and effective work. This rushing feeling is a life theme, which is why my work is so calm. I paint to slow it way down. From [Closed Captioning], this is "Rumbling, crickets" 24 x 12 in 2022