South Korean artist Jae Yong Kim was born in Seoul, in 1973. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from the University of Hartford and received an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Kim's works have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions at international art institutions such as Powerlong Museum, Waterfall Mansion & Gallery and Gwangju Museum of Arts. He is currently a professor of ceramics at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, and spends his time living and working between Seoul and New York.
Jae Yong Kim first created his doughnuts during a challenging time in his life. The doughnut business he had opened in New York as a way to gain alternative sources of income other than art, failed due to the financial crisis. Kim dedicated himself to creating doughnuts that can be appreciated in a non-traditional way in the form of artworks. As such, they represent individuals' wishes and desires to pursue their calling, regardless of the obstacles they face.
Each doughnut the artist creates is hand-thrown, hand-painted and glazed, with no two pieces alike. They are inspired by his personal life, with a memory attached to every single piece. While rather muted in colour previously, Kim's more recent doughnut creations are bright and colourful, with many references to pop artists such as Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol. They are often shown like large-scale paintings, with up to several hundred doughnuts in a grouping.
