Costume Designer Takes Award-Profitable Designs to Worldwide Stage

Mapping out costume designs, Hyun Sook Kim doesn’t simply see vibrant colours, draping materials and punctiliously constructed silhouettes. Woven into the fabric, she sees a fusion of emotion, tradition and creativeness that transforms the costumes into storytelling brokers. 

“My objective in costume designing is to discover significant creations within the theater world. My background and upbringing in Korean tradition paired with my present expertise residing in an American society permits me, as a professor and artist, to view my designs from a number of views and observe with a wide range of supplies,” mentioned the Cal State Fullerton professor of theatre and dance. 

Kim’s dedication to progressive storytelling, variety and inclusion earned her a spot as one among seven costume designers chosen to symbolize the US on the 2023 Prague Quadrennial of Efficiency Design and Area hosted in Prague, Czech Republic. 

The 2-week occasion, which happens as soon as each 4 years, will characteristic work from lots of of performing arts professionals from all over the world.

Kim will show a set of costumes she designed for a 2017 theater manufacturing titled, “Acquittal.” Written by playwright Shahid Nadeem in 1987 and directed by Noelle Ghoussaini, the play takes place in Pakistan within the Eighties and recounts how discriminatory legal guidelines negatively impacted the lives of girls and marginalized teams. 

Using darker tones of pink and brown, Kim’s designs symbolize the fashion, agony and psychological turmoil of the feminine characters. The real emotion behind the silhouettes and shapes made it a main embodiment of this 12 months’s Prague Quadrennial theme, “Uncommon,” which acknowledges the “distinctive and uncooked realities that artists create.”

“The themes of discrimination, social injustice and racial inequality impressed me, and I used to be very excited to design for this present as an artist of coloration and a minority feminine costume designer. It was an unimaginable alternative to advertise variety, fairness and inclusion in American theater,” mentioned Kim.

This can be Kim’s third time presenting her designs on the Prague Quadrennial. After collaborating within the 1999 and 2019 conferences, she mentioned her experiences haven’t solely benefited her skilled profession, however they’ve additionally performed an essential position in serving to her college students succeed. 

“My previous and present skilled expertise helps me to know present tendencies within the business, and I weave these ideas into my educating by partaking college students in hands-on sensible strategies of design,” mentioned Kim. 

When Jamie Gallagher joined the theatre arts program as a pupil in 2020, she mentioned that Kim was one of many first folks she reached out to due to her in depth resume designing costumes in locations comparable to New York, London, Beijing and Tokyo. Since then, Kim has had an unimaginable impression on Gallagher’s inventive profession. 

“She helped me uncover my model and my innovation as an artist,” mentioned the theatre arts-specialized research senior. “She has proven me and my classmates such care and intention whereas instructing us via our tasks. She persistently takes the effort and time to attach with me and examine in on my progress in each my academic and profession endeavors.”

From film costumes and interval kinds to graduate-level costume design, all of Kim’s lessons give college students the instruments to construct a robust basis for future success within the performing arts business. 

“Professor Kim has guided me step-by-step via a number of productions serving to me to enhance my time administration expertise, organizational expertise, preparedness and professionalism,” mentioned Carina Holley, a graduate pupil majoring in theatre arts-design/technical manufacturing. “Her educating strategies and assignments at all times encourage limitless creativity.”

In 2019, Kim invited a gaggle of scholars to attend the convention together with her in Prague as a part of a examine overseas program led by Lisa Lengthy, affiliate professor of theatre and dance. All through the journey, college students had the chance to work together with artists from all over the world, and Kim is wanting ahead to creating that have once more this summer time. 

The 2023 examine overseas summer time session to Prague, Czech Republic, will happen from Could 31 to June 20, and it is going to be led by JR Norman Luker, assistant professor of theatre and dance. 

“My expertise being part of this occasion has had an unlimited impression on my educating philosophy and inventive perception, and it has enormously formed my skilled profession,” mentioned Kim. “I’m excited that my college students can have the chance to achieve related experiences as younger artists.”