Henry Kim

HYUNUKO is a design studio created by Henry Kim (b. 1991, Los Angeles, California). A child of Korean immigrants, Kim grew up in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. Interestingly, Kim did not study ceramics in college, instead receiving his Bachelors in Literature from the University of Redlands, he experimented with ceramics as a release from his daily studies. Before beginning his independent studio practice in January 2021, Kim was the Head of Ceramics for eight years at the renowned LA-based art and design studio, The Haas Brothers. Working alongside the Haas brothers, Kim developed intricate processes and material exploration through his work on the Accretion and Fairy Berry series. His work there was instrumental in pushing the boundaries of form, color, and texture.  

Kim is a designer-maker, blurring the boundaries between form and function, art and utility, necessity and luxury. Through HYUNUKO, Henry creates innovative, functional objects that seamlessly integrate techniques from a variety of cultures and time periods. His bespoke collection of ceramic furniture and domestic wares express ideas based in nature, fantasy, escapism, sci-fi, martial-arts, and luxury brands. His MONGI planter is the product of two techniques: Marble, which is the art of impregnating porcelain bodies with pigment to curate color combinations that only fully express after being fired; and Onggi, which is an incredibly efficient traditional Korean ceramic building technique which cleverly combines coil-building and throwing. The combination of these distinct elements is representative of Kim’s past and present, as well as his love of both the traditional and modern. The epitome of a trendsetter, Kim’s aesthetic is uniquely his own and answers to no one (except maybe his mom).