Jaeyong Kim
Jae Yong Kim is an artist born in Seoul, Korea but grew up in many different parts of the world including Kuwait and different parts of the US while getting a college and master’s degree.
In his artworks, Kim uses surrogates in trying to express himself such as snails and donuts.
Kim uses snails as surrogates in expressing his constant searching for a home. His early experience of moving from different countries to countries made him explore his identity and the meaning of a home. Snails in particular carry their homes on their backs so they serve as the perfect stand-ins. Kim also uses snails particularly because snail is always moving forward but also carry their “homes” on their backs. For Kim, home is not a physical thing in a definite place. It is something that he can carry around with him while he’s travelling to different places. While moving to different places, Kim was always carrying a baggage and carrying a home and going somewhere to a certain direction, but did not know exactly where. In order to talk about people through art, it was natural for him to use snails to focus on expressing facial expressions, emotions, movement, and directions. That’s why the snails don’t have details, they have more of a cartoonlike character. Also there are over exaggerated expression on the snails that he saw and examined on the faces of people he saw on the streets.
The expression of donuts 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 of fame, money and power that often times lead to false happiness and success. Donuts 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 donut that he found the perfect vehicle for his message. Also, referencing to the Garden of Eden, he substituted the “apple” with donuts which he considers as something that bring us a great joy in life. He wanted to use an item that symbolize money and ambition and all the things you want in your life, but they won’t necessarily bring happiness in life. Every donut is unique because everything is hand painted. A donut is like a canvas to kim and he expresses his feelings at that time onto the donut.
Born in 1973, Seoul, South Korea
Lives and works in Seoul and New York
Currently Working as an Assistant professor of the Department of Ceramics, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul
EDUCATIONS
1998 BFA, Ceramics & Sculpture, Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, West Hartford, U.S.
2001 MFA, Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, U.S.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021
- DONUT FEAR, Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok, Thailand
- SHOOT!, Shinsegae gallery, Daegu, Korea
2020
- DONUT FEAR, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul
2019
- I Love Donuts, Powerlong Museum, Shanghai
- Donut Ever Forget Me, Boise Art Museum, Boise
2018
- We Love Donuts, L'Avenue, Shanghai
2017
- I Love Donut, Gallery by the Harbour, Harbour City, Hong Kong
2016
- Highlighted Solo Art Shows – Jae Yong Kim, Huantai Museum, Zibo, China
- Pop Goes the Donut, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
- Can’t Stop Thinking About…. Donuts, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, Saginaw
2015
- Can't Stop Thinking About..., The Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City
2014
- Donut Rush, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
- I Love Donuts, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton
2013
- Donut Fields, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, New York
2012
- Lust for Donuts, Blank Space, New York
2004
- Snailing, New Century Artists Gallery, New York
2003
- New Work, Visual Research Gallery, New Haven
1999
- Momo On Wall, Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery, Manchester Community College, Manchester
- Recent Work, Wood Memorial Library & Museum, South Windsor
1998
- Just Momo, The Gallery, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
- FLOWER, CHOI&CHOI Gallery, Seoul
2019
- Afterglow, Noblesse Collection, Seoul
- Off Menu: Contemporary Art About Food, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for
- the Arts, Walnut Creek
- Visual Delights, Gwangju Museum of Arts, Gwangju
- Céramiques Gourmandes, Fondation d’Entreprise Bernardaud, Limoges
- Conversations: Contemporary Asian Art, Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Norfolk
- Fire and Water, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
- Don’t Call it a Comeback, Atelier Aki, Seoul
2018
- Autumnal Exhibition, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
2017
- New Book, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, New York
- A Cup of Sugar, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, Binghamton
- Summer Wrap Up, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
- Luminance, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York
2016
- Summer Salon, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, Binghamton
- New Memories in Holiday, Artside Gallery, Seoul
- GVSU and SEOULTECH Art & Design Faculty Exhibition, Art Gallery, Grand
- Valley State University, Allendale
- Made in America, Museum of Art & History, Lancaster
- Mixing Medias, MANA Contemporary, Jersey City
2015
- Donut Craze, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia
- Asian Contemporary Ceramic, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou
- Beyond the Morning Calm, Lillstreet Gallery, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago
- Re: Kontemporary – Fermented Souls, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, New York
- Glazed & Diffused, Ferrin Contemporary, North Adams
- Spring Exhibition, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, Binghamton
- Immersion: Becoming You, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, New York
- Sweet as One, Chengdu International Finance Square (IFS), Chengdu
2014
- Double Mirror: Korean-American Artists, American University Museum, Washington, D.C.
- Salon 3, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, Binghamton
2013
- Ode to Summer, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, New York
- East & West Clay Works, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton
- Yegam Art Market, Yegam Art Space, Queens
2012
- Brand New 5, Eugene Gallery, Seoul
- Department of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, George Segal Gallery,
- Montclair State University, Montclair
2011
- BLANK SPACE, Blank Space, New York
- 13th Tokyo-New York, Nippon Gallery, New York
2010
- Goldfarb Retrospective, Donald and Linda Silpe Gallery, Hartford Art School, West Hartford
- Let There Be White, Meltem Birey Gallery, Philadelphia
2009
- The Day After Tomorrow: Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Sweetwater
- Center for the Arts, Sewickley
- LEAP Award Finalists Exhibition, Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh
2008
- East & West Clay Works, Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art, Tochigi
- Size is Relative, Donald and Linda Silpe Gallery, Hartford Art School, West Hartford
2007
- Dreams in Clay, George Segal Gallery, Montclair State University, Montclair
2006
- East & West Clay Works, Korean Craft Promotion Foundation Gallery, Seoul
- Living in Between Time, Elga Wimmer PCC, New York
2005
- Yearning, Elga Wimmer PCC, New York
- Eight Korean Artists, FGS Gallery, FGS Korean Community Center, Englewood
- Slide Slam, Real Art Ways, Hartford
2004
- East & West Clay Works – New York: Fire Works, Space World Gallery, Long Island City
- Alums, Philip Alan Gallery, New York
2003
- Face to Face, The Stage Gallery, Merrick
- Generations: Impending Lineage, Art and Industry Gallery, San Diego
- Young Talent, Washington Art Association Gallery, Washington Depot
2001
- Group Show, Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham
- Master Selections Show, Cranbrook Art Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills
- Menagerie: Animal Imagery in Contemporary Ceramics, Covivant Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa
- Menagerie at NCECA, Gaston College Art Galleries, Dallas
- Michigan Annual XXIX, Anton Art Center, Mount Clemens
2000
- Celebrate Clay, Lawrence Street Gallery, Pontiac
- Now + Then, Cranbrook Art Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, U.S. Craft Forms, Wayne Art Center, Wayne
- Facing East, Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, North Salem
- Circumstantial, ArtSpace Hartford, Hartford
1999
- The Stars, ArtSpace Hartford, Hartford
- Artist Against AIDS, Lincoln Square Theatre, West Hartford
- About Face, Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford
1998
- Wood Memorial Biennial `98, Wood Memorial Library & Museum, South Windsor
- Contemporary Visions `98, The Gallery, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Powerlong Museum, Shanghai
Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City, U.S.
University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, U.S
University of Hartford, West Hartford, U.S.
TD Bank, New York
W Hotels, Xiamen, China
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Miami, U.S.
Fidelity Investments Corporate Art Collection, Boston, U.S.
Madi Shoulder Hospital, Seoul
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals
Donut Bouquet, 2022, Ceramic, Under Glaze, Glaze, Swarovski Crystals