Nok [녹]

Black and Beautiful

Nok is commonly associated with the color green in Korean. When people hear the name, they usually assume it refers to the color—and I often let them, as it happens to be my favorite color.

But my Nok means “black and beautiful.” The moment I came across that meaning, it felt just right for my drawings. Not that they are beautiful—it just felt right for my usual pencil drawings and geometric forms.

Ironically, that is also what I constantly try to break away from. It is an ongoing battle to evolve beyond who I was yesterday, while still accepting my artistic roots.

I draw, write, install, perform, curate exhibitions, and develop projects. To me, all forms of creativity share 97% of the same DNA; the remaining 3% determines how they manifest. They are different ways of exploring life. What I know, what I doubt, and what I do not know drive me to create.

Hyun Jee Kim

Career

• Apr 2015–Present｜Artist, Freelancing Designer & Curator｜Seoul

• Apr 2014–Jul 2015｜Exhibition Designer｜SIGONGtech

• Jul 2012–Nov 2012｜Exhibition Coordinator｜Mediacity Seoul 2012 (The 7th Seoul International Media Art Biennale)

• Dec 2011–Mar 2012｜Production Designer｜Paper White

• Mar 2011–Oct 2011｜Associate Curator｜Gwangju Design Biennale 2011, Unnamed Design Section

• Jul 2010–Nov 2010｜Intern Curator｜Gallery Lumiere

Education

School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago (SAIC)
BFA with Emphasis on Architecture