Check out Dennis Tae Wook Kim’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Tae Wook Kim.

Dennis Tae Wook, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’m a Korean who grew up in Hong Kong and am currently studying in LA! Like almost every artist, I’ve always been drawn to art from a young age. I spent my childhood drawing, painting, doodling in math books, and just getting my creativity out in some way. My mom used to study art when she was in high school, and I remember often asking her for help with drawing.

I eventually got more into video games, and art became more of a hobby than a passion. It was still there in my life but I found video games to be a better way of escapism during the teenage years. This turned out to be for the better though, as I later realized how influential they were for my art practice.

I graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in painting in 2015, did some traveling, tried some soul-searching, and eventually ended up back home in Hong Kong. I didn’t know where I was going in my life and felt a weird mix of pressure and stubbornness to continue pursuing a career as an artist, despite having no plan. It wasn’t until one day when I spontaneously decided to venture into 3D animation and visual effects. I applied to the Gnomon School of VFX near Hollywood, and have been there for the past two years. This has been the biggest life-changing moment in my life. I feel that both my painting background and my video game past have finally merged nicely together in a more meaningful way for my career.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My current endeavor in the arts is in VFX and CG. Though it’s a technically robust field it still emphasizes the key elements of art: storytelling. For me, the greatest inspiration for storytelling has come from my dream journals. I used to think the vivid dreams I could remember all the details of were just really cool, fantastical journeys I went through in my sleep. Once I started drawing the creatures and characters, I met in those dreams, I realized I was slowly building a bigger world that combined them with my own imaginations. I started making connections between dreams which seemingly didn’t relate to each other, and created this story that tied them all together.

I think this practice of keeping a dream journal and ‘connecting the dots’ is what’s pushed me to go forward with my art. Even though they’re fantastical and not in line with reality, they actually hold a lot of details that project some of my deeper personal issues and struggles.

I want to tell these mythical stories that come from my dreams as a way to share and connect with viewers. As someone who’s struggled with social and communication issues, I’ve always wondered how I could share a piece of myself with others without the need to speak. I think visual effects and animation is a great medium for me to do that.

What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
I think the best version of success for an artist is when you allow the natural process of playing to guide your work.

As a former painter, I loved the happy accidents and moments of discovery that come through the frustrations of trying to make a piece of work. As a VFX artist, it’s more essential to have a plan and solid guide of what I want to do, how I’m going to do it, and what kind of results I want to achieve. They might be contradictory to each other, but I think the main thing they both share in common is the act of playing and enjoying the process. While working on my CG art I’ve learned a lot trying to figure out solutions or researching different methods to get better results. They were frustrated and at times, demoralizing, but I still enjoyed that process of exploring, problem-solving, and seeing the hard work you put into something slowly materialize into a complete piece.

Art is like a symbiotic relationship; you rarely get the best version of your piece or idea if you’re always trying to force something to happen. I think success in art is when you let the challenges, frustrations, and curiosities guide you to open new ways of exploring yourself as an artist.

And just have fun!

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can visit my website at www.deermanart.com.

You’ll find a link in there that goes to my fine art and painting works too. I’m also on Instagram @iamthedeerman.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.deermanart.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: iamthedeerman
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennistaewookkim/

Image Credit:
RISD

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