Jae Yong Kim (1973, Seoul, South Korea) is an artist recognised and noticed for his quirky, eclectic, and humorous works. He creates a relatable language for the viewer to deal with human issues such as cruelty, pain, anguish, joy, love, and friendship. Jae Yong Kim’s interests, research, and studio practices extend from making individual ceramic pieces, to installations. He experiments with different media, pushing them to their fullest capacity and limit. His work is exhibited all over the world.

As a child, he lived in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for five years, then returned to Korea where he spent most of his adolescence. In 1994, Kim moved to the United States to pursue a university degree. His constant exposure to changes developed a desire to understand and find his identity and the meaning of “home”. In his works, he explores these issues through the use of a surrogate subject, such as nails and doughnuts.

The expression of doughnuts came to Kim during a time of deep self-doubt in 2008. He started questioning and redefining everything that he thought would bring him happiness. Kim thought how fame, money, and power often lead to false happiness and success. Doughnuts were one of the few things that brought him joy. The simplicity of its shape and the expression of taste gives us a moment to indulge in childlike happiness. And it was here in this simple doughnut that he found the perfect vehicle for his message. He hopes more people can enjoy and understand the value of art and the importance of culture. And wish people can see each other’s beauty in this diverse world. As an artist, Jae Yong Kim has been living with the motto: “You are the light of the world.” He believes creating work that gives joy to people is a way to be the light of the world.

Meet
Jae Yong Kim

Curated Goods

Designed by
Jae Yong Kim

Meet Jae Yong Kim

Curated Goods

Designed byJae Yong Kim

Meet
Jae Yong Kim

Designed by
Jae Yong Kim