Miki Kim

Based in Seoul, South Korea, Kim masterfully fuses traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, often weaving elements of Korean culture into her art. Her creations span diverse media, from tattooing and painting to digital illustration, characterised by bold colours, fluid forms and intricate detail.

For Spring/Summer 2026, EDWIN invited Miki Kim to bring her illustrated world into a capsule collection of printed garments and accessories. Across all-over printed shirts and shorts, graphic T-shirts, long-sleeve tees and a bandana, her dreamlike imagery moves from paper and skin to fabric, creating a collection that feels both personal and wearable.

Deeply connected to nature and human emotion, Miki draws inspiration from her personal journey and the complexities of modern life. Her work has been exhibited across Asia and internationally, earning acclaim for its ability to resonate with diverse audiences through both intimacy and imagination.

To mark the launch of the collaboration, we visited Miki in her Seoul studio to discuss her life as an artist, the inspirations behind her work and the creative process of translating her artwork into the EDWIN collection.

Q. Having grown up immersed in both Korean and Japanese culture, do you feel both places influence your work in different ways?

A. I actually grew up in Korea, but Japanese culture has influenced me a lot through films, books, music, travel, and working in Japan. I think the two places affect me in very different ways. Korea feels like a place where I can rest, slow down, and breathe a little more deeply. It gives me space to reset. Japan, on the other hand, tends to spark inspiration in me. When I’m there, I often feel like I want to draw something, make something, or create new ideas. There’s something about the atmosphere and energy that makes me feel creatively motivated.

Q. Do you think Seoul and Tokyo have different creative energy from one another?

A. Yes, I think they feel very different. Seoul feels faster and more intense to me, but also very familiar because it’s home. Tokyo feels different in pace — I often find inspiration in small details there, like bookstores, old cafés, quiet streets, strange objects, or things I happen to notice while
walking around. Both cities inspire me in different ways.

Q. Your work feels very cinematic at times. When you’re creating new pieces, do you imagine scenes, characters or stories behind the images?

A. I think so, yes. When I listen to music or read books, I naturally tend to imagine scenes in my head. I often picture moments, moods, or fragments of stories, almost like small scenes from a film. Sometimes those imagined images become inspiration for my work, so maybe that’s why my pieces can feel cinematic at times. I also think I sometimes get inspired by scenes from films. I don’t always think of a full story while drawing, but I think these imagined scenes and feelings naturally find their way into my work. 

Q. Are there any artists whose work continues to inspire or influence you creatively?

A. Whenever I get asked this question, I always mention Tadanori Yokoo and Satoshi Kon because they have been a long-time source of inspiration for me. I’m also influenced by films from directors like Seijun Suzuki and Akira Kurosawa. Their visual worlds, atmosphere, and storytelling continue to inspire me creatively.

Q. Are there any Korean or Japanese artists you think people should discover right now?

A. Lately, I’ve become very interested in ceramics, so I find myself paying more attention to ceramic artists. I especially enjoy the work of Park Song Kuk and Jo Hee Jin. I feel that both artists create beautiful work with very distinct worlds of their own. Even just looking through their feeds feels inspiring and educational to me — I often feel like I’m learning something from the way they approach their work.

Q. The new studio looks amazing. How are you settling into the new space, and has the environment changed the way you work at all? 

Not much has changed creatively just yet, but separating my home and studio has been really good for me. I think it has actually helped me live a healthier and more balanced life. It has also given me more space to experiment. At home, it’s difficult for me to do things like
ceramics or painting, but in the studio, I’ve been spending time working on ceramics and thinking about trying many different kinds of creative work as well.

Q. Right now, if you had to choose: tattooing or illustration?

If I had to choose just one, I think I would choose illustration. I really enjoy meeting different. people through tattooing, but in Korea, it’s difficult to sustain tattoo work alone, so I often have to travel abroad to work. In the past, I enjoyed a more nomadic lifestyle, but now I have my cats, and I think I’ve started to appreciate staying in one place more — having time to rest, think, and work at a slower pace. 

Tattooing is also very physically and mentally demanding. Working on the human body for hours requires a lot of focus, concentration, and energy, so to be honest, it feels more exhausting for me these days. That said, it’s not because I dislike tattooing at all. It can be incredibly rewarding work, and there’s a strong sense of fulfilment in creating something meaningful together with someone who stays with you for a long time.

Q. Do the two practices influence each other naturally, or do they feel like completely different mindsets for you?

A. They naturally influence each other at times, but drawing digitally or on paper is definitely very different from tattooing on human skin. Human skin moves, and depending on a person’s skin tone and skin type, the same design can look or heal differently, and colours can appear differently as well. The process itself is also very different. Because of that, I think tattooing and illustration sometimes overlap, but they also require very different ways of thinking and working.

Q. How important is music in your creative process?

A. In the past, music influenced me a lot — it often inspired me, affected the speed of my work, and even changed the mood of what I was making depending on what I was listening to. But to be honest, these days I listen to podcasts more often, or music that helps me concentrate while working (laughs).

Q. We heard you’re a bit of a digger and an aspiring DJ. What are some artists, albums or mixes you’ve been listening to lately, both old and new?

A. I think there may have been a small misunderstanding — I wouldn’t say I dream of becoming a DJ (laughs), but I have been collecting records as a hobby for about eight years, and through that, I somehow ended up occasionally DJing from time to time.

Most of the records I collect are Korean and Japanese pop music from the 1970s and 1980s. Interestingly, I don’t listen to them very often in everyday life — I usually listen to them when I’m searching for records or spending time with my collection.

When I’m working, especially while tattooing or doing ceramics, I usually play music that helps me. focus. Outside of work, during my free or resting time, I actually don’t listen to music very much. Lately, I’ve been listening to Buddhist jazz mixes or mixes uploaded on Login.jp while working.

Q. Is there a particular record or track you always come back to while working?

A. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t really listen to music on records while I’m working. I also don’t have one particular track or album that I always return to. Most of the time, I just let YouTube Music play something random, or listen to mixes — like the ones uploaded on Login.jp.

I tend to prefer background music that helps me focus rather than actively choosing something specific to listen to.

Q. What are you currently working on or excited about for the future?

A. Right now, I’m making ceramic pieces featuring my cat, Tengu, as the main character. This month (June), I’ll also be taking part in a small group exhibition at my ceramics teacher’s studio.

To be honest, I don’t have any major projects planned at the moment because I’ve been feeling like I want to slow down and rest a little. For a while, I’d like to take things more slowly — making ceramics, possibly doing small ceramic exhibitions, and spending more time exploring different kinds of work at a gentler pace.

At the same time, I’m currently collaborating with a London-based brand that makes cute clothing, and we’re working on new pieces together. We’re thinking about doing a small launch and possibly showing some of my work at their showroom in Berlin this August. I’m also excited about the release of a clothing collaboration with EDWIN.

Q. We heard you’ll be spending some time in Berlin this summer. How can people get booked in for a tattoo while you’re in Europe?

It will actually be my first time experiencing Berlin in the summer, so I’m really looking forward to it. I usually post tattoo booking information occasionally on my Instagram stories or feed, but I only accept bookings via email.

So if anyone is interested in getting tattooed while I’m in Europe, they can simply send me an email inquiry with their ideas and details.

The EDWIN x Miki Kim Capsule collection is now available at selected retailers, EDWIN stores and online.

Photography: Hong