BIO
Born in 1977 in Haenam, Jeolla Province—an ocean countryside area of South Korea—Yeonsoo Kim was the youngest out of six children. He had early hobbies as far-ranging as baseball, comic books, and classical music. Kim first moved to the states in 2014, and has spent time in Atlanta, Montana, Florida before his 2022 move to Houston, which he describes as a “nomadic” lifestyle; he now teaches at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish center in Houston. Mr. Kim recalls an early affinity for art, the precursor of his current specialty in Onggi, a long-standing Korean pottery tradition. He received artistic encouragement as early as middle school. And primarily started with drawing/painting before beginning to move into sculpting and pottery. This interview covers Mr. Kim’s life experiences through art and his continuous drive to work hard and find artistic differentiation amid challenges. Within his approach to art, he discusses the importance of finding a unique, contemporary artistic voice that leverages his background, as well as inspirations as diverse as African Masks, surrealism, and other artistic domains. To this end, he reflects on modern developments in other domains of art and media today. Mr. Kim also discusses dealing with stress, and the importance of balance in his life. He additionally describes the technical aspects of his approach to sculpting, as well as his upcoming artistic plans. He closes by offering thoughts on nurturing one’s passion and general advice for future artists.