In the Mind of a Communications Design Student
Korinah: How old are you, and where are you from?
Koyoon: I am Nineteen years old and I was raised in Abu Dhabi.
K: Does your style of dress influence the way you create?
Kayoon: What I create influences my fashion. I study communications design, and it is pretty much graphic design. We are focused on commercial stuff like packaging design, posters things of the like. I'm really enjoying it, but there's always a part of me that wants to keep the emphasis of my degree on fine arts. That's why I think I try to include my style in my graphic designs. I somehow try to make it work to become commercial.
K: What is your relationship with fashion?
Kayoon: My relationship with fashion? I think it is something I want to explore. I've always been interested in it but I've never gotten the chance to be fully engrossed in it. Maybe because i don't know anything about today's fashion market or world. It is nonetheless something i am interested in learning more about, or exploring.
K: What made you interested in exploring it?
Kayoon: I think ever since I was a kid I always liked clothes. Once I started art school, it became more of an artistic thing for me. I want to explore fashion in the same way that I want to explore other facets of art. It stems from my passion for exploring ways to express myself through different mediums. Fashion interests me in that way.
K: What influences you?
Kayoon: I'm around my friends a lot. And we're all designers or artists of some sort. Talking to them gets me so far with my ideas. I really enjoy that because it allows me to get many different perspectives from other artists. I don't always agree with them because we have different styles, but it is always good to get the other side.
I'd have to say, my biggest influence right now is myself. At this stage in my life, I am trying to be something different. I'm trying to force myself to do new things. Everything that you do, in the end represents you. What you were thinking in that moment, feeling in that moment, where your life was at that moment. I think it's always the best when you can put yourself in your art. That your experience helps create something that only you could have. That's why it is important to look at yourself as influence. You want your source to be yourself.
K: Do you publish your work online?
Kayoon: I don't really have a blog or page or anywhere that I post my work. Although, sometimes, rarely, I'll put some things out there. I think it's nice to have access to art. It is nice for people to share their work with others in any means they can. It encourages, inspires and influences a lot of people. That is a great thing, in my opinion. If I was into the whole idea of putting my work out there, I would. But I think it's because I'm a designer more than an artist right now. A lot of my work focuses a designs like logos and ads.
K: Where do you display things you've done?
Kayoon: My wall in my home is full of my artwork. It's so different when you have the actual thing in front of you, rather than looking at it in a photo or a flat digitalized version of it.
K: What do you ultimately see yourself doing?
Kayoon: My entire life, growing up, I told myself I would switch jobs every two years because I wanted my life to change constantly. But, honestly, I think having my own business would be most ideal. Then, you have so much control.
K: How important is design?
Kayoon: Some people don't realize how important design is in our lives. It it weren't for design, we wouldn't have chairs to sit on, or tables to use to eat on or write on. We wouldn't be buying clothes. I want people to acknowledge art and appreciate art rather than belittling artists for choosing to study art at the university level.
Image Credit: Korinah Sodahlon
