Jae Yong Kim

South Korean artist Jae Yong Kim is fascinated by American popular culture and consumerism. Now living between Seoul and New York, his hyperrealistic sculptures mix references from Mickey Mouse and devil horns to Yayoi Kusama and traditional Delftware all through the form of the donut. Shiny, colorful and often glittery, Kim’s works do not express critique but rather pleasure, finding a childlike delight in desserts and globalized goods. In contrast to their mass produced subjects, however, each donut is shaped and painted by hand, meticulously decorated with individual Swarovski crystals and fired up to four times in the kiln. 

Kim received his BFA in Ceramics and Sculpture from the University of Hartford and his MFA in Ceramics from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. As he frequently moved around from country to country as a child, his early works consisted of cartoon-like snails to explore the themes of home and belonging. More recently, his works almost exclusively depict donuts with references to popular mascots, brands and even contemporary art movements. These works have also explicitly referenced other artists interested in consumerism, such as Andy Warhol and his iconic Campbell soup cans. Kim has participated in over 40 group exhibitions, appeared on Good Morning America and won several awards. 

-       Dreamt of Donut Flavored Soup, 2016, Ceramic, underglaze, glaze, and glitter, 35 x 21 x 1 1/2 inches (88.9 x 53.3 x 3.8 cm), reference to Andy Warhol

-       Donut Rush, 2005, Ceramic, 5.9 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches (15 x 15 x 3.8 cm), a representative Mickey Mouse donut with ‘sprinkles’ that recall Louis Vitton branding