By Honorary Reporter Foteini Chatzoudi from Greece
Photos = SM Entertainment

Park Kipyung, a Seoul-based conceptual designer, works in K-pop, fashion and entertainment, turning the identities and concepts of artists into distinctive objects. Rather than treating them as simple props, he considers them important design elements that strengthen the visual world of a project.

His work appears across album covers, shoots, music videos and other visual content including BIGBANG's "BiiiG" 3D coffins, NCT DREAM's "Go Back To the Future" hoverboard and aespa's "Whiplash" DJ booth.

 
Below are excerpts from an email interview with Park from Aug. 21-27.

Park Kipyung's hoverboard for NCT DREAM's fifth full album "Go Back To The Future" 

What attracted you to 3D design?

It was the freedom to explore and transform forms quickly. Unlike sculpture, which requires physical materials and production processes, 3D allows me to scale, restructure and compare possibilities much more efficiently. I enjoy stepping beyond the physical limitations of the real world and experimenting with forms from my imagination. 

What inspires the surreal and unusual forms in your work?

It begins by translating and reinterpreting the visual language and cliches of subculture into real-world objects. Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was exposed to subcultural animation and films featuring robots, monsters and magical girls. These works often shared distinctive visual conventions such as sharp mechanical horns, heavy asymmetrical armor, exaggerated silhouettes and symbolic details.

I am drawn to the tension that emerges when exaggerated and unrealistic aesthetics from fictional media are brought into the physical world as real objects. I am interested in how familiar images and forms can create different meanings and sensations when placed in new contexts.

Park Kipyung's concept car for SEULGI's second EP "Accidentally On Purpose"

It follows two paths. Some projects are completed as 3D assets for digital content or compositing, while others are developed into physical objects for videos, photographs or exhibitions. I split these projects roughly in half.

Based on the concept and overall direction, I develop the initial idea into a 3D design and go through several rounds of revisions to finalize the form. Once finalized, I either complete it as a digital asset or take it further into physical production, depending on the project.

What project has been the most memorable for you?

"Whiplash" was one of the first large-scale projects I worked on after teaching myself 3D. I designed four objects for the album. Working on objects with different forms and functions allowed me to explore diverse design approaches while maintaining a consistent connection to the album’s visual direction.

For "Go Back To The Future," I designed and produced a hoverboard. I wanted the design to reflect NCT DREAM's identity while connecting to the album's time travel concept. The hoverboard appeared across the album's visual content, including concept photos, the physical album keyring, music video, teasers and highlight medley.

ljyhwa@korea.kr

*This article was written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.