From a young age, sophomore Holden Kinman has been creating art.
His father, a graphic designer, and his grandmother, an artist, have both been key figures in influencing his focus and creative drive. It wasn’t until recently, however, that he started thinking about art as a potential career path.
“It definitely was supported by my family,” he said, “which made it convenient.”
Building on his passion for art, Kinman is currently in Advanced Art 2D — his favorite class — taught by Performing & Fine Arts Department Chair Ms. Cha Asokan, who he appreciates deeply as one of his favorite teachers, too.
“She’s very easy to talk to,” he said.
In Advanced Art 2D, he is actively working on two projects: a cardboard-related piece for his first semester final project and the first acrylic painting he’s ever done. Both are different from his preferred art medium of ink, where he is often inspired by the style of dark mangas.
For Kinman, his passion is a major outlet.
“My motivation comes from emotional expression,” he said. “I don’t always have the best ways to express myself, and therefore, art is perfect for that.”
Growing up, he found himself in three different areas across the Western U.S.
Born in Sun Valley, Idaho, Kinman moved to Huntington Beach, California, at the age of three, and about five years later, he landed in Portland, Oregon, where he has lived since. Between the three, he deemed California his favorite given his preference for warm weather, something that Oregon is generally lacking in.
However, due to his frequent moving, Kinman lacked a consistent school setting, which, with some downsides, still had its positives, such as encouraging him to be sociable.
“I would explore different relationships and see a ton of people,” he said.
At La Salle, Kinman knows a lot more people than he did at previous schools, explaining that he has “friends in all corners of the school,” meaning he has been able to find companions with interests in a variety of areas such as STEM, sports, or art, like him.
Every now and then, his family will do a movie night, rotating who selects the film they all watch.
“My dad and me, we’re both into cinematography,” he said, adding that he enjoys philosophical movies or ones that would make him cry. “I love watching good movies so much.”
With his mom, they both share a love for rom-coms. As a bit of a self-proclaimed “hopeless romantic,” Kinman’s favorite film is “La La Land” because of its great use of different themes and color.
Time permitting, alongside school, Kinman balances a few hobbies other than media that he describes as somewhat seasonal, including skateboarding, snowboarding, and swimming.
Skateboarding is more difficult for Kinman because of the usual poor weather conditions, but if he can, he’ll frequent the abandoned parking lot by his house. Snowboarding is a hobby he hasn’t pursued nearly as much because of time constraints and how expensive it is, and while he was on the club swimming team during his time at All Saints School, it lost its appeal after a while.
“At my core, I’m not really a competitive person,” Kinman said.
Last year, he chose not to continue swimming because he wanted a break — which he now regrets as it led to him being rusty and more tired. However, since joining the La Salle boys swim team in December, Kinman has grown to like his coaches and teammates.
Despite his contentment with the sport, he doubts it will be something he continues in college, as he hopes to pursue a career similar to his father with art — specifically graphic design — being a goal.
“I definitely want to perfect my craft with design,” he said.
