[HAVE YOU EATEN?] Work In Progress

I am making a book about food and memories titled HAVE YOU EATEN?. It is the common greeting in Korea, and I am using it to bring up memories related food that I have eaten, to compose a sort of memoir. Images made so far can be seen here, though texts not included yet.

This is the most recent piece I am working on, about Bbopki (baked sugar, probably the cheapest and sweetest snack, obviously bad for your health but whatever, that I loved as a kid), and following piece is "how to make" page.

Selected for Illustration West 51, Society of Illustrators LA

Memoir, 2012, Etching with soft ground, aquatint, roll over and color pencils

It was more than two months ago when I submitted this work for Illustration West 51 competition at the Society of Illustrators, LA. So it came as a nice surprise when I received a notification email that my work was selected right on the Christmas Eve!

The work will be shown on their website (the link has not open yet. It would be available in early March.) along with other selected works for the competition. There also will be an exhibition at the Gallery Nucleus from March 8-12 in L.A. I am not so sure yet if I would ship my work out for the gallery show, but more info would come as it becomes clearer.

If you are curious about the story behind this piece, please read my previous post on this piece from last year.

Dad and me at an orchard

Memoir

© Aram Kim. detail of Memoir, 2012. 

 

Ancient Korean drawings truly fascinate me. I had been exploring since the new year with imitating the soft brush strokes of ancient Korean drawings using soft ground technique of etching. At the end, after printing several small plates copying Korean masters from 19th century, I wanted to draw something that contained my own story. So, this piece came, the last print I pulled before the printshop closed for one month break. 

I thought of what had been important part of my life and integrated several elements including ari (my own first pet ever, a yellow baby chicken I bought from the vendor in front of my old elementary school), books, etching press, family photos and many many more. 

I remembered an old photo I saw from the family album long time ago that a small girl, me, was reaching out for an apple in the tree at the orchard our family visited, probably for pick your own apples event. She (I) was so excited and happy in the photo and her face was full of joy. Simple expectation of picking an apple from a tree by herself brought the girl the greatest delight. 

Starting from the photo, I drew out the memorable elements of my life. Looking back, sometimes, does give you an energy to walk forward.