Looking through Nooree Kim’s art is a surefire way to put yourself in a good mood. Her work is upbeat and positive, just like her. Nooree has worked on Adventure Time and is now on We Bare Bears! Plus, she is working on sculpting her own art toys which are sure to be A++.
“It’s easy to get lost in the mechanics and motions of life or school, and it will show in your creative output. I’m still learning on my path, I hope to be lucky enough to experience great things and share them through my art.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Nooree Kim: My parents wanted to provide my brother and I with a good education so when I was about 4, my family immigrated from Seoul, Korea to Toronto, Canada. That’s when I started watching western TV and I discovered the show ‘Art Attack’. It had opened up my eyes to the world of arts and crafts. You could definitely say that Art Attack was the beginning of my path in art (thanks Neil!).
I started taking art more seriously when I began art high school. There I was exposed to many different branches of art, including animation. I really wanted get into the animation program at Sheridan college, but I wasn’t accepted the first time around. That was probably a good thing since it made me realize what I was lacking and what I needed to improve on. The next time I applied, I was accepted, and so launched my start in the Animation industry.
MM: Who or what are your biggest creative influences?
NK: Ah, such a hard question to answer! I’m thankful to be surrounded by such talented friends. I’m inspired by their passion to pursue personal projects, aside from their full-time work. The internet, specifically Instagram and Tumblr, has also made it so easy to connect with and be inspired by artists around the world.
Currently, I am in the process of making my own art toys, so seeing other artists molding and casting process has really inspired me to refine my own process. I’ve been following a lot of sculptors and art toy makers including the talented Andrea Blasich. I took a sculpting/ molding and casting workshop with him over the summer and it renewed my love for sculpting.
MM: What do you hope people will take away from the work you create?
NK: I hope that when people see my work, that they can relate to my experiences and that my sense of humor will leave them feeling happier and feeling refreshed. It’s what I aspire to share the most in my work. I usually create series of mini comics, which are on my blog, that recount my experiences being in a long distance relationship, living away from home, and other day to day growing pains.
MM: Do you have advice for women who want to work in animation?
NK: One of the things I’ve observed through the years is that you don’t necessarily have to go to college to get into the animation industry, or have a successful animation career. My time at school for animation was valuable and I learned a lot from my professors, but what I feel has helped me the most was being surrounded by friends who are equally in love with art and animation. Being in the right environment and surrounding yourself with other passionate artists can help propel you to a great career. You have to be familiar with what you need as an artist to continuously be inspired, and to be motivated to constantly create— Whether that environment is at a steady school curriculum or if it is just being amidst a group of talented and supportive artists is up to you.
MM: Is there anything you would like to add?
NK: It’s probably such a common thing that every artist ever interviewed has said, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to live and experience life. It determines what you truly want to express, and helps shape the personality/identity in your work. In my experience, as an animation student, I struggled with being able to figure out my own artistic identity because of the competitive situations that school had posed. Though I had made leaps and bounds with my technical art skills, and understanding the animation pipeline, I had become fixated on competition and the grading structure that I lost direction with what I wanted to express in my art. It was only after I graduated and began to experience life that I realized my creativity flourished better. It’s easy to get lost in the mechanics and motions of life or school, and it will show in your creative output. I’m still learning on my path, I hope to be lucky enough to experience great things and share them through my art.
