Kim O'Brien (born. 1975) is a textile artist living and working on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations.
Working in themes of mental illness and nerodivergence she uses her lived experience as an entry point to explore underrepresented narrative.
“I adore stories, however, I didn't learn to read until grade four. My introduction to accesable story came through community theater. I spent my youth playing make believe. Story and storytelling is the way I gather, retain and understand the world. Although I'm a visual artist, story has always run through my art practice. Early works leaned into joyful, quirky story and were heavily influenced by my theatre roots. Since 2017 my art practice has expanded into documenting more challenging narratives. I'm interested in creating art and atmosphere that is both comforting and uncomfortable. An invitation to both introspection and external dialog.”