Korean artist and creative director Young Kim started his identity as Suitman simply enough while relocating with only a single black suit to wear.  Over time he realized that the black suit and the yellow shades externalized his feeling of cultural alienation both as an Asian living in America, and also an American living in Asia.  Suitman is the manifestation, in a physical, plastic form, of this lifelong alienation. The legend of Suitman has grown through photographs taken during Young's travels. His work is insightful, personal, relevant, highly engaging and always surprising. Occupation and Position (company) CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ARTISTS, DONUT MAKER (SUITMAN) What neighborhood do you closely identify with?  What makes your community unique? Hmmmm. Tough question to answer. I left New York about 5 years ago to work in Shanghai and Beijing. Since then. I've been living out of hotels and service apartments. Finally, I have a somewhat stable place to call home in Tokyo and also have a studio in Hong Kong.  I've been shuttling back and forth for about 2 years now so where ever I hang my hat is home these days. Tell me the greatest thing you've found in the cities you've lived in? I would say the "space" I have in both cities are the greatest things I found in each city. In Hong Kong, our studio is big enough for me to work and create my own work and it has very industrial feel to the space. In Tokyo, we have a very unique building as my office and studio apartment. It's one of a kind building that's exhibited in Pompidou. If you could interview one unsung hero, who would it be? It would have to be Reid Palely. Why? Just go to his site and listen to one of his song: http://www.mindspring.com/~themonkeyspaw/. True genius and old school artist Where are your favorite local spots to eat? Beijing - Crystal Jade Hong Kong - Hiro sushi New York - Takahachi in Tribeca Seoul - Myong Dong Gyoza Shanghai - Shintori Tokyo - Narukiyo & Yarukiyo What songs are at the top of your playlist at this very moment? Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues What is your current bedside read? "I Am Koran" - The Story of Rikidozen What is your favorite place to visit when you travel abroad? India. It's like visual candy land! So many colors and scents. Unknown territory. Is there anything you haven't done yet but want to accomplish? I'd like to travel more. What goal(s) did you have when you started SUITMAN? I did not have any expectation when I first started the Suitman project. It was just my personal visual journal I kept during my travel. How do your current objectives compare? Suitman has become bigger than me. What kind of projects do you have coming up? We have several big projects in the planning stage for '09. Right now, we have a LG corporate brand TVC with Suitman as a visual person as well as a three other projects about to come out. In '10, we're doing a group show in the Chelsea district in New York. And of course, we also have other commercial work in process with companies like Youtube, Gucci and Google. *** For more info on Suitman / Young Kim, visit http://www.suitman.org/. All Images Courtesy of Suitman.