Korean Artist Creates Delicious Ceramic Donuts
These ceramic donuts look delicious enough to eat – a feast for the eyes! But you shouldn’t do this… in fact, these are not just donuts, but real works of art.
January 12th is Glazed Donut Day in the United States, and on this occasion, I invite you to meet Jae Yong Kim, a Korean artist known for his incredibly realistic and playful ceramic donuts.
Creative achievements
Jae Yong Kim works with ceramics and installations, consistently demonstrating a whimsical and eccentric style that reflects the artist’s personality and contemporary culture.
The sweet tooth artist works from his studio in Seoul, South Korea. His ceramic donuts are made with precision and attention to detail. They are fired using three different types of clay and then covered with glitter, paint or even Swarovski crystals.
“Each bite has become a memory, I can choose one donut and tell you where and why I made this donut. For me, donuts are like diaries; every donut has its own story”
Jae Yong Kim exhibits his ceramic donuts in galleries around the world in cities such as Shanghai, Dubai, Tokyo, New York and Miami. Kim is also a professor in the Department of Ceramic Art and Design at Seoul National University of Science and Technology.
One of the driving forces behind being an artist is that I can show my work around the world and bring smiles to people.
colorblind
As a college freshman, Jae Yong Kim learned that he was partially color blind. This prevented him from working with color until one of his professors encouraged him to use his “unique ability”.
“I found out that I have red-green color blindness. I had a hard time getting into college and majoring in art.”
Having overcome his fear of color, he now creates vibrant works of art and does not let this “flaw” stop him.
How it all started
He started making donuts in 2008 after the birth of his son, when the global financial crisis hit the US. At the time, Kim wondered if he needed to sell real donuts to help support his family.
This was a particularly difficult period in his life and he considered giving up his career as an artist. He sculpted a donut out of clay and hung it on the wall in his New York studio to comfort himself.
His accidental creation soon attracted the attention of gallerists who entered his studio. They were intrigued and started asking questions. At that moment, Kim realized that he wanted to do what makes him happy and at the same time please others.
“As long as people like my donuts, I think my work is a success. I really feel happy when I see smiles on people’s faces. That’s all. I want to make people happy”
Donut is the main passion
As a result of his passion for donuts, Kim made five three-meter donut installations last year and unveiled a series of donuts decorated with “minhwa,” a Korean style of folk painting.
Donuts are also the result of Kim’s endless efforts to overcome his former weakness as an artist: color.
The officially colorblind sculptor says he was able to overcome his fear of using colors after making the first 300-400 donuts with different colors.
Over time, Kim’s donuts have developed their own language:
“The donut, in this case the donut, has become an art form, a language of communication”
From a young age, Kim dreamed of becoming an environmental sculptor (environmental sculptors specialize in creating works that blend well with the environment).
As a result, he found his self-expression through what he really loves – donuts.
“I think life is about being crazy about something,” Kim said, looking over his clay donuts. “I always think about donuts wherever I go, whatever I see.”
Giving joy to people has always been his main aspiration and, in my opinion, he succeeds perfectly.
I hope I managed to make your day a little happier!
How do you like donuts from this Korean master? Do you find his idea original? Share in the comments.
Source: jaeyongkim.com