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SOO HONG INTERVIEW
2007.05.11
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Name: Soo Hong
Age: 30
Occupation: artist / freelance designer
Current Location: Seoul, Korea
BACKGROUND
TNG: Tell us a little about your background. Have you lived in Seoul your whole life?
SH: I was born in Korea, but moved to the States and lived there for three years. Even though I don’t remember that time, I still think I got something from it. Then we moved back to Korea for while, then to Italy for one year, and then to London for another year. We came back to Seoul when I was around 10 and I’ve been here since then. I also did a short study abroad program in Maryland and lived in London for two and half years while I was getting my MA.
TNG: When did you first start painting/drawing and what or who got you started?
SH: I started drawing when I was a kid, but I went to college for furniture design. For my MA, I was originally trying to do video animation, but I happened to meet a really nice illustration tutor in the process. He saw my sketchbook and suggested I try out illustration. Compared to animation, illustration felt really freeing.
TNG: How are you keeping busy these days? Are you working full-time as an artist?
SH: I’m doing freelance design work as well as my own art. With the design work, there is usually a deadline to meet, so right before the deadline I focus mostly on that specific project. But after it’s over, I can relax and have lots of time for my own work.
TNG: How long do these projects typically take? Are you doing T-shirts or books?
SH: For T-shirt design it’s pretty flexible. They give you a couple months. I recently did a graphic identity project for a film competition that included some posters and stuff. I usually just start with a hand drawing and put it into the computer. I’m not doing sophisticated typography design or anything like that! My other freelance work is the same stuff I did at my old job. It’s called graphic user interface design. Usually the designs appear in cell phones, mp3 players, or TVs. It’s pretty boring but well-paid compared to other graphic design work. I like this kind of work because it doesn’t interfere with my fine art. Actually, when I meet people who concentrate all their time on their own artwork, they can actually get kind of lazy and cut off from the outside world.
between portrait piece for Copenhagen Exhibition
TNG: So you just had your first show at Café Factory. Was this your first solo exhibition?
SH: I actually did two exhibitions in Europe with my friend, Edda, who is an illustrator in New York. Our first exhibition was in London, and the next was a group exhibition in Copenhagen. The theme for the Denmark show was ‘Between’. At that time, Edda was living in New York and I was in Seoul, so we used our different locations to fit into the theme. For two large paintings, I started the piece in Seoul and then shipped it to her in New York to finish.
TNG: Are you currently looking for more shows in Seoul?
SH: Not actively at the moment. I’m waiting to see people’s reactions to this current show. My work is not the heavy type of art. It’s fairly light and graphic, so when a lot of people look at my work they don’t really consider it fine art, which is kind of why this first show in Korea is in a café as opposed to a commercial gallery. I want to make a complete series with one theme and use that to approach galleries, instead of my current portfolio which is quite varied. I’m thinking about the theme right now and whether or not I can make a book as well.
TNG: So have you come up with any good ideas?
SH: Well, In Korean, you know 뽀뽀, means to kiss, but it’s not really a romantic kind of kiss. When you 뽀뽀 you usually do it to your kids, or pets. So I was thinking about making a뽀뽀 book or exhibition with all different types of뽀뽀. It could be old people, same sex people, kids, or pets. I’m thinking it could be quite funny to see a whole 뽀뽀 room full of big 뽀뽀 paintings! Or maybe I just like the word뽀뽀!
between landsdcape piece for Copenhagen exhibition