A memoir detailing the story of a Korean woman running a restaurant and smuggling opium while surviving the Japanese Occupation and Korean War deserves a quality cover. Recent BYU Illustration graduate Maria Kim created art for exactly this, and the Department of Design aren’t the only ones who noticed. Her art was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Association of Illustrators Awards.
The AOI began organizing an illustration contest over 75 years ago and with thousands of entries every year, even "being on the shortlist itself is an honor,” says Illustration Area Head Justin Kunz. “This list represents some of the best contemporary illustration worldwide.”
“When I found out I had been shortlisted I was dazed. It didn't feel real and still doesn't if I'm honest,” says Kim. “Being featured by the AOI is an unusual opportunity to have your work seen by people all over the world, and I've been able to connect with professionals in the industry since receiving the news.”
The art, Still Life with Rice, was created in a series of five for Kim’s senior capstone project in April. “What makes this piece special is how its nostalgic colors convey the story of the book itself, which follows the life of the author's grandmother in a changing Korea,” she says. The project, in addition to helping Kim finish her program at BYU, has now continued to impact her career and serve as a steppingstone into the professional world.
