Selected Publications
I have written art criticism and reviews for journals including frieze, Art Review, i-D, Revue d’art Canadienne, Fillip, parachute, Tank, Border Crossings, and C Magazine since 2003. I have published poetry and creative nonfiction in Room and Prairie Fire. My essays have appeared in various anthologies and academic publications. At the moment, I’m working on longer form works of fiction, and not writing art criticism as much.
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COUNTER-TEXTS: LANGUAGE IN CONTEMPORARY ART (REAKTION BOOKS, 2022)
In Counter-Texts, Kim Dhillon provides a much-needed critical reassessment of language in contemporary art. Considering the politics, aesthetics and ethics of language, Dhillon explores artworks that use language, with a particular focus on works that challenge dominant narratives or which reveal, in visual form, the many systems of oppression hidden within the structure of language. Featuring the works of many artists from diverse backgrounds, including artists such as Serena Lee, Alisha B. Wormsley and Joi T. Arcand alongside figures such as Glenn Ligon, Brian Jungen and Susan Hiller, Dhillon rewrites the understanding of text in contemporary visual art. Counter-Texts explores how and why visual artists use written language, and interrogates the power held in words.
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“Without Word Without Voice Blind Gesture,” Gestures: A Body of Work, Alice Butler, Nell Osborne, Hillary White, eds., Manchester University Press, Manchester (Forthcoming).
“Breaking the Feedback Loop,” C Magazine, Issue 145, Spring 2020.
“Maternal Bodies and Collective Action: A curated conversation led by Natalie S. Loveless with Christa Donner, Andrea Francke, Kim Dhillon, and Martina Mullaney,” Inappropriate Bodies: Art, Design, and Maternity, Rachel Epp Buller and Charles Reeve, eds., Demeter Press, Toronto: 2020.
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“Seeker,” Prairie Fire, Summer 2020 (Winner, Bliss Carman Banff Centre Annual Poetry Prize).
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Praise
“[Kim’s writing] was full of beautiful language and the depth of the work was wonderful to sit with. It was personal and cerebral and the voice within the work felt poetic and full. What does it mean to inhabit an identity or be part of a larger community and shared history? It’s a beautiful essay looking closely at the self.” - Award-winning and NYT best-selling author of Heart Berries, Terese Marie Mailhot
“An important resource for scholars and artists, Kim Dhillon’s book [Counter-Texts] asks questions that are timely about whose voice is given power to speak.” - Artist Sutapa Biswas.
“Counter-Texts is a necessary and compelling examination of how words and language can disrupt the status-quo and challenge power through dynamic artistic media. It’s a thorough look at altering public space and discourse through crucial diverse perspectives, particularly revolutionary anti-colonial artistic practices that educate and empower to create space for the voices that need to be heard.” - Author of Moon of the Crusted Snow, Waubgeshig Rice