Today we’d like to introduce you to June Kim.
Thanks for sharing your story with us June. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Korea and spent half of my life there. I came to America since I wanted to study art in a bigger world and received a scholarship for my figure drawings from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
I had a background as a photographer before Art Center. In Art Center, I studied traditional painting, illustration and extended to learn graphic design and film.
I started to get interested in building structures by taking Materials and Environmental Architecture class. Material class was a whole new world for me. Learning about the elements of earth and how to use them; definitely open my creativity up to analogue methods and not relying on digital methods. Throughout two classes from Fine Art and that last described Architecture class, I finally created my first sculpture by fabricating red thread.
I came a long way to express my creativity but thrived to share my original vision in a new way. I felt the format that I was most interested in was storytelling by building an innovative systematic visual form. My emotion was reserved and hidden in storytelling ideas and the concept was leading how to solve and come up with the shape I created for. I would like to continue developing my vision by building thread sculptures and installation in a unique way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely was not a smooth road. In order to make it as an artist in Los Angeles, I have been keeping my day-time job as a freelance art director/designer in Motion & Film industry. I had to support my finance to be able to produce my artwork and support my art business. I haven’t met any other artists in LA who don’t have their day-time jobs unless they are lucky enough to have family or spouses support them financially. It was not easy to survive as a professional motion art director in a competitive and intense Motion industry. I had to work harder to do design work and do my personal work after work or on weekends. I took many months off from my art directing jobs to be able to create my first solo show in 2016.
Managing my healthy life physically, mentally and financially is the biggest challenge every single day. However, I learned a lot from my daily job. In a creative way, my polished design sensitivity and problem-solving skills really help me when I do my art practice to come up with new concepts and processes. Plus, in a professional manner, I learned to work in a production schedule and to finish my work before the deadline. Although I always feel juggling in between my daily job and my personal artwork.
I’m still figuring out how to be a responsible human and a creative artist at the same time. I do not think these two qualities are opposite but only going to work out to make it as an artist when those two qualities collaborate with each other.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am a conceptual sculptor and an installation artist who works by fabricating red thread into built plexiglass to tell an abstract story of invisible human connection, based on collecting my own data in numbers on social media. My material choice of red thread is inspired by the ancient Asian belief story, an invisible red thread connects to all who are destined to meet in human life. I visualized this invisible human social network by sewing red thread into three-dimensional architectural plexiglass structures that is imagined a time-space from my inner vision. My sculptures and installations have developed into various shapes due to the organic nature of tracking human relationships in social networks.
I specialize in ideation and concepting in my artwork. My inner vision sets my work apart from others. I also visually challenge to come up with the innovative form to deliver my abstract story of the invisible human network in imagined time-space.
On the other hand, besides my personal work, I am also working as an art director and designer who specializes in concepting and coming up with new ideas and stories in Motion, Film and Advertising industry. I won and led various TV and Film titles, advertising pitches for commercials and social campaigns, including clients like Apple, Google, Facebook and TV shows like Carnival Row and Homecoming, additionally films like Operation Finale and Prometheus. I came up with visual solutions, design treatment, art direction, branding and creative strategy. This idea battles I do daily practice helped me strengthen to work as a conceptual artist and a creative leader who can see multiple perspectives to innovate and challenge new ideas from my artwork.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Everyone I met in my life deserves credit to make June Kim, who I am now. However, I would like to give the biggest credit to my father who always taught me to be a pioneer. He always told me to find my own vision and path. He encouraged me the best version of myself. He is the one who supported me to go and create my own path no one ever has been. Now I think about it he was a true pioneer in terms of what he was doing for a living as an entrepreneur and a CEO for his own business of international offering agency.
My both father and mother traveled the world and encouraged me to study abroad from a conservative Korean society toward a woman. That eventually led me to be an artist and an art director successfully in Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.junekim.work | www.june.nu
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/june_redthread/
- Behance: https://www.behance.net/juneart
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/junekdesign/my-work/
- Archinect: https://archinect.com/june/project/knots-red-thread-sculpture
Image Credit:
Alli Jiang
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