ND KIM
For our third issue, RESLIENCE, META MAG sat down with ND Kim, a multidisciplinary creator originally based in New York City. From photography to graphic design to cinematography, his portfolio features collaborations with Vogue, FILA, 88rising, and Opening Ceremony, among many others.
See the full interview in our third issue, RESILIENCE.


Photography by Young Jae Shin
1. What does resilience mean to you and how does it play a role in your creative endeavors?
Resilience is one of the most important abilities in my life which not only affects the way I find myself but also affects the way I solve problems. Sometimes, it’s hard for people to realize how impossible it is to avoid failure and to understand how to be optimistic about gaining valuable knowledge from what you might have thought the failures were.
While everyone probably has their own way of resilience, whenever I feel like I'm in a gutter, (rather, if the problem is from work, family, friends, physical and mental health, etc.) I try to take care of myself by being isolated from the crowds and anything I might have to spend energy on. And while I’m in the healing process, I think that’s when I get the most creative energy and become more ready to accept failure as an enjoyable challenge.
Once you are ready to challenge yourself without fears, that’s when you can be fearless and go further into the wider range of creative processes with passion.
2. What do you aim to achieve with the way you cultivate fashion campaigns and what is the biggest inspiration for your creative direction?
I usually like to use ‘golden ratio’ as a reference when I’m trying to find a good composition. Yet, there isn't a specific guideline to find one either. What I have noticed from being involved in both still photography and cinematography is that it is helpful to have a package of storytelling with a variety of angles and shots. For example, you will find the images more interesting when you see a set of scenes including close-ups, mids and wide shots with different angles, jesters, or anything you can think of. By having a package, you can tell a story or mood with a bigger spectrum.
I’m not necessarily trying to cultivate a scene in the fashion industry even though I’m closely working with them. As much as I have passion and respect for fashion, photography and cinematography, I’m using these mediums to cultivate my own identity as a multi-artist and to hopefully build a community in the future––which brings me to my inspiration for my creative direction.


Photography by Young Jae Shin