Today we’d like to introduce you to YeRin Kim.
Hi YeRin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Of course. I’m YeRin Kim, I grew up in South Korea and went to college in Baltimore and San Francisco, ultimately earning a Master’s in Fine Arts from CCA. Before I moved to Austin, BuBi was born in Tucson AZ, where I was working as an art installer and a ceramic class instructor. It was at that ceramic studio where I created the first Moti and Tobi pipes as part of a class demonstration. I was encouraged by my friend Valerie Trucchia, a fellow ceramic artist, to submit them to an upcoming erotic art show at a local gallery. They were very well received at the show with several people asking if they could purchase them! I started making them in my spare time with the aim to eventually expand into a full-fledged business. I purchased a kiln and dedicated myself to mold making, an art form in itself. Each BuBi is born out of a series of handmade plaster molds, we have many people helping us in this department. It’s been a huge learning process! I designed a few more pieces and then things just started falling into place. In the Spring of 2020, I moved to Austin with my husband, where we set up a studio in our garage and have been making BuBi ever since! Now he helps me with production and managing logistics to keep up with demand. We are so grateful to the many people who supported and helped us on our way here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Porcelain can be tricky to work with and we have found the technical challenges of the medium to be one of our biggest obstacles and one of our greatest rewards. We have about four different finishes that we use, each requiring different firing temperatures, different amounts of firing, different glazes, even different types of porcelain. There are so many variables that doing just about anything can be overly complicated. We are constantly looking for ways to improve ourselves and create more beautiful objects. The finished product wouldn’t be so special if it was easy. We have recently added terracotta versions of our product, there is just so much to learn and try.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My previous artistic practice explored the concepts of human connection and communication through performance and interactive installations. BuBi lives on that tree of work; it’s a natural extension of my personal interests and artistic development. I think of each Bubi object as an interactive sculpture, one that you put your mouth on.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Most of my characteristics cause me trouble from my perspective, but I guess I keep going regardless, so I should say my perseverance. But the people who helped me get to where I am today are far more important: Valerie, my husband Aaron, Wes, Taiyaba, Steven, Noons, and Mary Jae. The spirit of BuBi also has some useful characteristics that I try to draw on when working: Bubi is about playfulness and promoting joy, pleasure, and connection in the day to day. We sincerely hope that our pieces will bring a smile to your face, whether you use them on a daily basis or for special occasions, for communing with loved ones or in sacred solo rituals. We want you to experience the care and love we put into our handcrafted process. Each unique Bubi object represents a part of ourselves that we share with you. Bubi loves you!
Contact Info:
- Email: bubilovesyou@gmail.com
- Website: BuBiLovesYou.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bubi.loves.you/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bubi.loves.you
