Kevin Chun’s artwork lives somewhere between design discipline and creative play. Working through CHUNTEK, his practice gives him space to explore form, function, movement, natural structures, and the kind of rule-breaking that is harder to access inside a corporate design environment. Influenced by transportation design, nature, and the simple act of making, Chun approaches art as a way to stay curious, experiment freely, and reconnect with his intuitive side. In this conversation, he reflects on building a creative outlet outside his professional industrial design work and why making art remains a necessary part of his life.
The Interview
To start, can you introduce yourself and describe what CHUNTEK is today?
My name is Kevin Chun. I grew up in Minnesota, and I moved to California in 2001 to study transportation design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Basically, I followed in my father’s footsteps and wanted to be a car designer. “What a cool job!” (to draw cars) I thought. I was fortunate to work professionally in the car design studios right out of school, but life had other plans for me.
Currently, I’m designing golf clubs for Titleist here in Carlsbad. I love the game of golf so that helps and it’s cool to see designs played at the highest level. CHUNTEK is more of my ‘sole-proprietorship creative side hustle’.
Can you get into your process as an artist, where a piece starts and how it develops?
First and foremost, being inspired is key. I learned early on that having strong reasoning why you do something is important.
I had my first automotive design internship during my Art Center days. While in the studio, I was working hard and created all these sketches for a presentation. During the presentation, or ‘critique’ in design-land, one of the managers said: “Kevin, why do we need you if you can’t show us something new? I have a bunch of designers in the studio that do this all day.”
That was the tough love and valuable lesson where I learned that having reasoning why you do something was very important. Otherwise, it’s just lines with no meaning. Also, quality over quantity for sure. To this day, when creating something, I ask myself certain questions: “What is the reasoning for this? Does this project answer the 5 W’s?” The answer to that question will vary in scope, but it’s very helpful in the long run. It’s like a ‘Mission Statement’ that keeps the project grounded and strong.
So, I would say: “Based on this form inspiration, this is the reason why my work looks like this.”
Not all projects are like this of course. Sometimes I create things just to let my mind explore and get away from the cookie-cutter day-to-day.
My process would entail being inspired, hopefully creating a fire within. Travel, nature, and experiencing different cultures helps with this. Even just going window shopping and seeing new products gets my mind thinking. If the right balance of discipline, timing, and creativity hit, I’ll go into an industrial design process; inspiration research and start sketching. It’s difficult though, in the sea of too much content, I feel like I’m always ‘searching’, but not enough doing.
I still like to draw. I think that’s lost with our younger generation. When I go to grad shows at the college, everything’s digital. I understand that’s where the world is, but when I graduated, it was beautiful hand sketches that took time and effort. I guess I’m more old school and I’m grateful to have learned traditional techniques. I hope young creatives go back to basics in addition to getting too immersed in relying on all-digital.
I always love looking at the early process sketches, because it’s directly from your brain to a piece of paper, there’s a true connection. It’s the raw idea and purest form of creativity.
Your bio mentions that CHUNTEK began as a way to explore transportation and design projects outside of corporate walls. What inspired you to create a separate space for that?
My father was also an automotive designer. At one point in his life, he had a design consultancy called Trans Industries. So I kind of followed in his footsteps in a way. That’s how the name came about. T-E-K is more of a play on transportation, environment, and then, obviously, my initial, Kevin.
What happened was I picked up a freelance job, and they cut the check to CHUNTEK Industries. I couldn’t deposit the check unless I had a business account. So that’s how that happened. It was super organic and happened almost by accident, really. It kind of spurred on, “Oh, okay, maybe I can do some creative things outside of my normal workflow.”
Do you feel like your professional work in design influences the way that you think about your art?
Having a car design background, it’s very influenced by form and function. My first job out of school was with a Japanese company. I worked for a Toyota concept studio, and I learned a lot by how they create a product. They have a specific process and ‘reasoning’ to achieve the end goal, and it has a deeper meaning than just creating a car.
A lot of factors are considered, like user experience, who this is for, specific segment and the demographic. My art is heavily influenced by automotive surfacing, forms found in nature, and finding the beauty in all things. But I think that’s where CHUNTEK is different: I sometimes don’t want to follow those rules. There will always be a certain level of control and sophistication in my work. Splattering paint would be a big deal for me.
I still have that design sensitivity. That’s my background, but this is more about rule-breaking, creating what I want. I don’t need permission from my manager to move this line. I think that’s where it came from. There’s so much red tape in the industry, and as a creative in corporate, it kind of deteriorates you, so I always want to explore outside of the box.
There’s something interesting in learning the rules so you can break them. Do you see that in your own work?
Oh, I 100% agree. It’s having the foundation, so you’re stable and grounded. I tend to draw a lot of oak trees or shapes inspired by oak trees. An oak tree has such a stable foundation, but as it grows throughout its lifetime, the branches get crazy. They intertwine, and they twist, and there’s no specific explanation why any of it does what it does. I’m inspired a lot by natural forms and love working with wood and other natural materials. It’s kind of a metaphor for learning the rules so you can break them: it has a stable base, but it has the freedom to grow in different, crazy shapes.
Do you feel like CHUNTEK is centered in a specific philosophy?
I would say beauty and curiosity drives it. The philosophy of dreaming big and having fun is very generalized. Obviously, you want to be having fun while you’re creating something, or else what’s the point?
In terms of free-flowing art, it’s more about the idea of trying new things. Our life is so structured these days, and I felt very confined creatively for so many years. Now that I’m getting older and more experienced, I thought, “You know what, let’s just try new things and explore.” Although important, It’s not necessarily a monetary thing, but for my own (mental) health. I need to get this out, whether it’s whittling on a piece of wood or getting back to my drawing or sketching.
I always have a sketchbook with me. Am I drawing in it every day? No. Do I want to be? Yes. Creativity requires some discipline as well. Instead of watching TV every night, maybe I should spend an hour drawing or doodling or working towards a creative goal.
What do you hope other people feel when they look at your artwork?
Design is so subjective. I honestly just hope that someone feels a little sense of joy and curiosity, and they want to know more. A lot of my work is influenced by automotive design and surfacing, so I have a certain trained aesthetic. If I feel like the work is beautiful to me, and it makes sense to me, that’s all I can do. As long as I invoke an emotion, whether positive or negative, I think I did my job.
If people understand certain things with surface proportion and line work, whether they like cars or not, you can see the automotive in my work. I’m attracted to those types of shapes: long, flowing lines and how surfaces connect.
That’s why I like the oak tree analogy, because I tend to get in a creative rut sometimes. I do what’s comfortable. What’s great is I’ll look at an inspiration of a tree, and it’s all crazy, and I don’t understand it. I’m learning that, as I evolve as a creative person, it doesn’t have to always be ‘correct’. As long as it make you happy; Just try it out!
That sounds like a tension for you, balancing between the perfectionism of industrial design and the freedom of art.
Yeah, for sure. I felt stuck for a little bit, like, “I want to be doing something, but I don’t know what I should be doing.” That’s why being inspired is so important for creatives. When you give it more focused attention, it makes you spend time defining what that means and where to go.
You mentioned working with oak wood and creating by hand. Can you talk a little bit about that project?
Right now, my friend and I have a project we’re working on. He’s a sculptor professionally, and we found some downed oak trees. I took home some of the pieces and the plan is to clean it up, sculpt it, and create a badass cat tree for my place!
Those are things where it’s cool to go through the process, scraping all the bark off and then figuring out how to finish the surface. That’s what I really miss doing; working with my own hands and having nothing to do with a computer. It’s just good, honest labor that brings a sense of fulfillment that I created something.
With wood and sculpture, it sounds like you are discovering through the work what can be done with the material.
I think that’s what I love about wood as a medium. It’s warm and it’s real! As you get deeper into the layers, the grains and shapes start to influence how you manipulate it. Don’t fight the material and flow with it. I’m excited thinking about it.
When you’re locked in, and you’re like, “There’s this feature here and I have to work around this. It’s so much fun.”
What kinds of projects or opportunities are you interested in moving forward?
I’m looking forward to any new opportunity that’s creative and challenging. Some design consulting has been on my mind and to meet other creatives and network. But I think for CHUNTEK Industries, there are so many ideas…
I’ve never done any sort of design collaborations, but I think that would be a really rewarding experience.
For a long time, I’ve also wanted to do some industrial design teaching and sketch help. That’s something I enjoy doing, because when I was a student, some of the upper classmen took the time to help me. The greatest form of joy came from helping the younger students who wanted to get better. I get the most satisfaction from sharing my perspective and talents and seeing someone get inspired and improve.
Basically, those same students today are running global design studios!
As much as I say I’d like to do personal artwork, it’s easier said than done, focus-wise. I get in my head about it too much. There’s too much content and freedom in a way. My mind is all over the place with ideas. It would be great to say: “Let’s make something first, because I want to.” I love all mediums. I love working creatively to fulfill my desire of purely making something, that’s what I find most important.
About Kevin Chun
Kevin J. Chun, originally born and raised near the Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota area, is a creative Industrial and Transportation designer based in North San Diego county. He currently resides in the lovely beach town of Leucadia, California.
Having Korean parents, Kevin quickly understood the value of hard work, determination, and was influenced by design at a young age. His father, John Chun, was also an automotive and industrial designer and his mother was a successful restaurant owner and operator.
Kevin had strong artistic talent coming from a creative family and was inspired to follow in his father’s footsteps to pursue automotive design.
After graduating with B.S. in Transportation Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Kevin relocated to Michigan and went on to pursue his dream of being an automotive and industrial designer at design studios such as Calty Design Research (Toyota – Ann Arbor, MI), FCA Chrysler (Jeep Studio – Auburn Hills, MI) and Polaris Industries (Medina, MN) for various power-sports vehicle designs.
Having had great automotive design studio experience in Michigan and being passionate about sunshine and lifestyle, Kevin relocated back to Southern California to do equipment design for TaylorMade Golf and currently Titleist golf.
Work with this Artist
Looking for a creative collaborator with a strong design foundation and a hands-on approach to materials, form, and function? Kevin Chun brings experience in transportation and product design together with a curiosity-driven art practice. Explore his profile on the San Diego Artist Network to learn more about CHUNTEK Industries, creative collaborations, custom design projects, and teaching or workshop opportunities.
