Daily Inspiration: Meet Bonnie Bohyeon Kim

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Bohyeon Kim.

Hi Bonnie Bohyeon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a very artistic environment my whole life thanks to my parents who made me play with objects and explore since I was 2 years old. Art wasn’t something I found later, but it was always there with me. I was always drawn to shapes, materials, texture, and multi-sensory experiences.

By the time I got to high school, I started doing fine arts more seriously. I led the art club, taking on a curatorial and educational role — organizing projects, curating exhibitions, and opening up art and design to non-artists through presentations and hands-on learning. I also managed an art gallery. This all deepened my focus on playful and experimental three-dimensional sculptures and installation. Later in junior year, I started thinking about how I could expand my passion into something even more immersive and collaborative that audiences could be engaged in. That’s when I started getting interested in spatial design and production design. Around this time, I was also selected by Nike to design display shoes for their flagship store opening in Myeongdong, Seoul.

I got into California Institute of the Arts in 2022, pursuing a BFA degree in Experience Design and Production, specializing in Scenic Design with an additional focus in Lighting Design, and a minor in Digital Arts Media. During my time at CalArts, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with people from all kinds of fields — film, music videos, live events — working as a production designer and art director, while still keeping my own practice in sculpture, printmaking, and photography. My film work has been selected and screened at festivals including Fantasia Film Festival, Fleapit, and Monstrous Flesh, featured by The Great Film Club, and distributed by TOC Cinema.

In Summer 2025, I interned at the Hollywood Bowl lighting department with the Shutter Cut Lighting Design, where I got to contribute to multiple sold-out shows (17,000+ seats) at the Hollywood Bowl by assisting with impactful lighting choices and design, cueing, and programming for artists including: Earth, Wind & Fire, LA Philharmonic, John Fogerty, Willow, Wizkid, Fuerza Regida, D Smoke, and Grace Jones. Through this lighting design experience, I not only expanded my knowledge and skill sets but also enhanced my spatial design expertise by learning how to sculpt space and atmosphere through light, and expanded my ability to integrate ideas and visual compositions across different artistic disciplines.

Through my practices in multiple fields, I’m excited to start my spatial design career, and eventually moving more into creative direction, especially in live events and fashion.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It wasn’t a smooth road. There were many struggles and moments no one saw. I sometimes doubted whether I had chosen the right path. But my family’s support meant everything. Both of my parents have a strong sense of art, and growing up, they exposed me to all kinds of mediums from a very young age. That foundation gave me a deeper understanding of art and kept me feeling secure and enthusiastic even on my hardest days. Beyond that, their unconditional encouragement, supporting whatever I wanted to pursue, gave me the confidence to keep going. Not knowing what comes next is what keeps me going. This field feels like an adventure. Those struggles are what brought me to where I am today, and I’m happy with where I am now.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work spans across film production, sculpture, printmaking, and video. What defines me is my multidisciplinary approach and my love for travel, which has always pushed me to explore new worlds, immerse myself in different cultures, and find new artistic inspiration. When I was 21, I took a month-long solo road trip — about 9,000 miles across six states, visiting around 25 national and state parks, constantly photographing landscapes, which really developed my eye for composition, lighting, and atmosphere. Even before that, I spent a month in Toronto by myself, finishing over 100 rolls of film just walking around the city, meeting new people, and immersing myself in a new culture and environment. Those experiences really shaped how I approach design, helping me grow as a spatial designer by giving me a clear vision of how I want a space to be experienced and what I want to capture within it.

What I’m most proud of is my versatility and the way I’ve grown as an artist through collaborating with so many different people across different fields. That same mindset carries into how I work. I’m not afraid to ask questions or take initiative, and I actively try to learn from the people and resources around me. My superpower is my willingness to challenge myself and actively put myself in situations where I can learn and grow. I also bring positive energy into the room and like to contribute rather than just observe.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I believe spatial design is storytelling without text. It’s not just about what you see, but it’s everything people see, feel, and touch. That full sensory experience is something only humans can truly feel, and that’s what makes it so powerful. We are the ones inviting audiences into our imaginative world, and I think that’s why spatial design will only grow as a core part of art and culture. At the end of the day, art and design are a form of human connection, and people will always seek out experiences that make them feel something and feel like they are a part of something.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bonnie-kim.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio_bonnie_/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniebohyeonkim/