Resume
CV
Sangwan ‘Shawn’ Kim
Media Artist / Projection Designer
Seoul / LA
Sangwan “Shawn” Kim is a media artist whose work visualizes the unseen rhythms of human existence, translating raw life force into spatial experiences of light, sound, and technology. Rooted in his extensive background in interactive media and performance, he approaches technology not as a cold, functional tool, but as a sensitive medium designed to reveal the deepest layers of human emotion and collective memory.
His practice is driven by the philosophy that true art requires a human soul. Rather than allowing technology to obscure human presence, Kim orchestrates immersive environments where digital pixels breathe in sync with human vitality. He seeks to create spaces that evoke profound emotional resonance, transforming fleeting, invisible moments into physical, shared realities.
In his media art installation Spiritual (Seoul Arts Center, 2021), Kim translated the cathartic force of traditional Korean rituals into a synesthetic bodily experience. By capturing real-time EEG brainwave data , the work generated a living particle field that guided the audience through a liminal space of subconscious release and emotional resolution.
His exploration of collective trauma is evident in Burning Field (2019–2025), where he transformed the chaos and PTSD of a real-world wildfire into a visceral environment. By engineering a mobile, fully wireless projection architecture, he allowed roaming screens to continuously fracture and fuse, turning individual tragedy into a collective physical memory. Similarly, in Dangclemaeda (2021) , he reimagined the sacred space of a Jeju ritual, unifying fragmented architectural LED light and live VJing into a single, breathing image-body.
Transitioning from his foundational role as a collaborative stage designer, Kim is now expanding his practice into independent fine art. He is currently exploring contactless biometric sensing—such as visualizing human heartbeats through Wi-Fi frequencies—to create installations where human energy connects deeply without physical touch. He received his B.A. in Theatre & Film from Hanyang University and is currently pursuing his MFA in Interactive Media for Performance at CalArts, continuously challenging the boundaries of how human life is felt and remembered through media.
California Institute of the Arts — CA, USA
Masters of Fine Art
School of Theatre
Experience Design and Production — Interactive Media for Performance
Sep 2025 - May 2028
Hanyang University — Seoul, South Korea
Bachelor of Arts
College of Performing Arts and Sport
Theater & Film
Mar 2013 - Feb 2019
2022 Media Artist, Korea Creative Content Agency <Da Vinci Project>, South Korea
2022 Invited Artist, Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, South Korea
2021 Award-winning, Seoul Arts Center <Art of Tomorrow>, South Korea
2021 Invited Artist, 21th Gwangju Design Biennale, South Korea
2021 Invited Artist, Asia Culture Center, South Korea
2020 Selected Designer, Korea Creative Content Agency <Creative Talent Fellowship>, South Korea
EASThug — Seoul, South Korea
Projection Designer / Media Artist
Jan 2019 - Present
Wanna Studio — Seoul, South Korea / Los Angeles, CA, USA
CEO / Projection Designer / Media Artist
Jan 2023 - Present
Adobe
Unreal Engine
Cinema 4D
TouchDesigner
Arduino
Millumin
Resolume Arena
QLab
MadMapper
Watchout
Advanced
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Advanced
Intermediate
Interactive Media
Experience Design
Immersive Design
Projection Design / VJ
2D & 3D Motion Graphic
Compositing
VFX / Storyboard
Previsualization / 3D Simulation
Point Cloud
Live Stream
LED Pixel Mapping