Daeuk Kim

Biography

‘'Mutant’' aims to fulfil, explain, and show his desires and dreams that have met obstructions, due to societal expectations of his gender. Growing up in Korea, Kim always felt as if he was a mutant, an aberration from the heterosexual norm. He decided to turn shame into pride, by making mutants that proudly display his hitherto secret desires. As a man, he has always felt he is inferior in terms of beautification. So when he designing these mutant objects, he represent himself with objects that are usually considered uninteresting and inferior and mutate them into ones that are grandiose and superior to encourage people to consider the implicit boundaries around gender that exist in different cultures and societies around the world. MUTANT consists of three videos and objects based on his three desires. Each of the three videos tells the story of each desire. Objects are mutants that are created based on those desires. Daeuk Kim’'s modified clover, dandelion, lily, and daisy originates from his research into mutated nature, starting from the belief that we are all mutant. Kim draws inspiration from the many naturally occurring mutations in plant species, such as the four-leaf clover. The clover typically only has three leaves, but when one becomes damaged, its will to live pushes it to create a fourth leaf. The fourth leaf has consequently become a symbol of good luck, happiness and prosperity in many cultures. Daan, Lukas, and David represents the natural phenomenon of fasciation, also known as cresting, a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants. This variation pushes the apical meristem (growing tip) to grow perpendicularly to the original direction of growth, thus producing an elongated, ribbon-like form. This phenomenon occurs for many reasons, including hormonal, genetic, bacterial, fungal, viral and environmental disturbances. The results are often beautifully elaborate contorted tissue, and the species which can develop fasciation are specifically grown and prized for their aesthetic value. Kim’'s work celebrates the beautiful mutations that take place in nature, pushing us to embrace and appreciate our diversities. What can we learn from the way we look at mutated nature? 'As a man growing up in Korea, Dae always felt as if he was a mutant, an aberration from the heterosexual norm. He decided to turn shame into pride, by making mutants that proudly display his hitherto secret desires. The refined detailing, the finishes, the kin and the colour palette - they all show the hand of a skilled maker and talented artist who is able to translate his personal imagination into a project that communicates excellently to a wider audience.'