By Honorary Reporter Sruthi Edakkal Peedikayil from India
Photos = Kim Soo Min

Kim Soo Min, a Seoul-based artist, since 2012 has been transforming ordinary Starbucks cups into miniature art, using the chain's mermaid logo as the central figure. 

With just white paint, a green marker and his imagination, Kim elevates a cup from a consumer symbol to a canvas for artistic expression. His work has been covered by global media like ABC, Grub Street (New York Magazine) and the show "Today" of the U.S. and features themes like superheroes, funny situations and celebrities.

The following are excerpts from an email interview with Kim from Feb. 15-22.

                       Kim Soo Min Kim works on one of his paper cup creations.

Briefly introduce yourself.
I am a freelance illustrator and paper cup artist. I mainly create works with such cups, cutting them with a cutter or using other techniques to transform them into unique pieces.

What inspired you to use paper cups?
Before I started using the cups, I experimented with objects as canvases. I gave up on most of them because they didn't feel inspiring. At the time, I had a lazy habit of stacking empty paper cups on my desk after finishing my coffee. 

One day, I suddenly thought, "What if I tried drawing on these?" That was the beginning of everything. The surface of a paper cup makes it easy to apply colors, and I gradually discovered that its round and 3D shape allowed diverse forms of expression.

Works by Kim Soo Min

Describe your creative process from the initial idea to the finished piece.
My creative process once began at cafes, where I'd brainstorm ideas while sipping coffee from a paper cup. After finishing, I'd draw on the cup in my studio. But the ban on paper cups at cafes due to environmental concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic altered this routine.

Now, I collect ideas in my sketchbook and when inspiration strikes, I buy coffee to go. Simple drawings take an hour or two but intricate 3D pieces with a cutter can take two to three days.

How many works have you completed and which is your favorite?
I officially started this project in 2012, and I remember completing 100 cups exactly a year later. Afterward, I gave up counting but including personal and commercial projects, I believe I've created well over 1,000 works. 

My favorite is "TotoroBucks" (based on the anime character). It required almost every technique I could possibly use on a paper cup.

Kim's favorite creation "TotoroBucks"

How do you decide which characters or scenes to depict on the cups?
Ultimately, it comes down to how I feel in that moment. My personal projects are fundamentally driven by my own strong desires. No matter how significant an event, if I'm not in the right mood, I simply can't create. This doesn't apply to commercial projects due to clients and deadlines.

What challenges do you face when working with paper cups?
Unlike regular paper or canvas, a paper cup is a 3D. That's why I put just as much thought into how the work is presented as what to draw. The best way to experience my work is by seeing it in person, which is why I occasionally hold exhibitions when I have enough pieces ready. 

Since I can't always show my works at exhibitions, I also take photos of them for posting on social media. Rather than a single image, I prefer posting multiple photos taken from different angles, and I find videos to be the most effective for this.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is 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.