Hyung Joo Kim
Illustrated worlds for kind-hearted spaces.
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The Room of Truth
In LALATOWN, there’s a room that never asks you to come in. It simply waits.
The door is always half-open, as if it already knows you have something to say.
Inside, there are no chairs and no tables. There is only a tree that pours tea, a moon where rabbits pound rice cakes through the night, and a mirror that sees the things we cannot always put into words.
People come here carrying truths of all sizes.
Some arrive with grand confessions.
Others arrive with something as small as:
“My sister-in-law asked what I thought of her haircut.”
“I said, ‘It’s okay.’”
That was the whole truth.
The room nodded, as if “okay” were a sacred unit of measurement.
A small child once wandered in and said:
“When my mom told me she was the same age as Auntie Bora, I asked her, ‘Then why do you look like THIS?’”
The room hummed.
Everyone agreed this was an acceptable truth for someone under ten.
The mirror is the most unusual part.
People stand before it and leave behind the truths they cannot explain.
The ones that arrive too early.
The ones that are too awkward.
The ones that are too honest.
A child may not have the words for them.
An adult may not have the courage.
But the mirror understands.
Some say the truths dissolve into the walls.
Others believe they settle into the roots of the tree, where they are steeped into tea and shared with the moonlit rabbits.
Frankie, the lawmaker, once claimed the Room of Truth followed him across a lake while he sailed in a teacup.
Whether it floated, walked, or simply listened from afar, no one can say.
All anyone knows is this:
The Room of Truth never judges.
It simply keeps a place for the truths you are not ready to carry anymore.
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Rice to Meet You
Proof That Rice Deserves Better Publicity
Rice is usually asked to stay in the background.
It sits quietly in bowls, supports entire meals, and rarely gets any credit.
I thought that was unfair.
So I decided to give rice a little spotlight.
In this illustration series, rice takes on a new role. It becomes a hair accessory, a bridal veil, a headband, a pair of headphones, a decorative ribbon, and even a tiny fashion statement.
Part of my ongoing grocery-list-inspired collection, Rice to Meet You celebrates the everyday ingredients that quietly show up for us, yet rarely get to be the main character.
This time, the rice gets the stage.
Welcome to my LALATOWN, where even rice has its fifteen minutes of fame.
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View From a LALATOWN Window
Almost every painting I create contains a window.
Sometimes I am looking out.
Sometimes I am looking in.
To me, windows are little portals — small openings that lead to another possibility, another story, or another day.
Many years ago, during long nights spent waiting in hospital hallways, I found myself staring out of windows and imagining places filled with warmth, laughter, flowers, good food, and gentle neighbors.
Those places eventually became LALATOWN.
This series is a collection of windows into that world.
Each one holds a different season, a different mood, and a different dream.
Some are quiet.
Some are cheerful.
Some smell suspiciously like fresh bread and strawberry sherbet.
But they all lead to the same place:
A town built from kindness, imagination, and the small everyday wonders that help us find our way home.
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LALA GROCERY LIST
I have always loved grocery stores.
No matter where I go, I find myself wandering through local markets, looking at fruits, vegetables, spices, and all the little ingredients that quietly fill everyday life.
One day, I started drawing them.
A lemon became Oh Lemon.
An onion became You Don’t Make Me Cry No More.
A garlic became Dear My Garlic.
What began as a few playful illustrations slowly grew into a collection.
This is a small corner of LALATOWN dedicated to the ingredients that rarely get the spotlight, but somehow make everything better.
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While Looking for Something Else…
While organizing my work, I started gathering a few old logo designs.
What surprised me wasn’t the logos.
It was realizing how much of my design background had quietly followed me into everything I make.
The dresses.
The bags.
The illustrations.
The book.
Even LALATOWN itself.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking of myself as a designer. I was too busy drawing, sewing, writing, painting, and building little worlds.
Then I found these.
Looking at them again, I realized that design never really left. It simply found new ways to appear.
These logos may look different from one another, but they all come from the same place:
A love for storytelling.
A belief that every place, every brand, and every idea has its own personality.
And a habit of turning ordinary things into little worlds.
Apparently, while building LALATOWN, I forgot that I studied design.
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LALA KIMBAP DAY
I came across this illustration while organizing some of my older work.
I painted it sometime last year, but looking at it again, I realized it was never really about kimbap.
It was about a memory.
When I was growing up, kimbap day was a big event. My mother would spread newspapers across the table because there were too many ingredients and not enough space. She would roll twenty, thirty, sometimes forty rolls at a time.
Before she even finished, my brother, my sister, and I would already be hovering around the table, stealing bites and waiting for the first pieces.
Someone always claimed they only wanted an end piece.
Nobody ever stopped at just one.
My father loved those days. Sometimes he would grab an entire roll before it was even sliced and eat it on his way to work. If there was extra, he would take some to share with his coworkers.
The funny thing is that my mother’s lunch boxes were made with love, not design skills. They were often a little chaotic. But my father always said they were the best.
At the time, it felt ordinary.
Now I realize those ordinary moments were some of the happiest days of my life.
My parents are gone now, and those days will never return.
But in LALATOWN, they still live.
That is why I paint.
Not to recreate the past, but to give those memories a place to stay.
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Pouch & Co.
Before there was Pouch & Co., there were closets.
Closets full of things I couldn’t quite throw away.
A skirt that promised I would fit into it again someday.
A blouse that looked beautiful in the store but never quite agreed with me once we got home.
A tank top that kept escaping the donation bag because the embroidery was simply too lovely to let go.
So I turned them into bags.
At first, it was just another project to keep my hands busy during a difficult time. Much like the dresses, these bags became a way to create something new from pieces that felt unfinished.
Most of the bags in Pouch & Co. are made from upcycled materials. They carry little pieces of previous lives stitched into new ones.
Over time, what began as healing became part of my life.
Every bag is different.
Every bag has a story.
And every bag is one of a kind.
In LALATOWN, the bags from Pouch & Co. are given to the people who need them most.
Because sometimes the things we almost let go of become the things worth carrying forward.
Welcome to My LALATOWN.
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My Lala & Stitch
A few years ago, I started making dresses.
I wasn’t trying to become a fashion designer. I wasn’t even trying to make clothes that looked professional. Looking back, I learned that there is a very good reason people spend years learning how to make beautiful garments. They fit better, they hang better, and they generally look much nicer than anything I managed to make.
But that wasn’t really why I started.
At the time, life felt difficult, and I think I was looking for a place to put all of that energy. Sewing became one of those places.
I found fabrics I loved and started making dresses for myself. One became two. Two became several more. Before I knew it, there were dresses hanging all over the house.
One thing they almost always had was pockets.
I love pockets.
Every dress seemed to end up with at least one, because I liked the idea of having a place to carry little things with me.
Looking back now, I think those dresses were part of my attempt to create a different world for myself. Not to escape reality, but to make room for something gentler inside it.
Over time, those dresses found their way into LALATOWN.
If you visit the town, you’ll find a little shop called Lala & Stitch.
The sign above the door reads:
IF IT FITS, IT’S YOURS.
In LALATOWN, that doesn’t only apply to dresses.
It applies to dreams.
To second chances.
To hobbies that begin by accident.
To strange ideas that somehow turn into books.
And to versions of ourselves that we didn’t know were waiting to be discovered.
These dresses eventually became part of Welcome to My LALATOWN, because they were part of the journey that led me there.
The stitching isn’t perfect.
The hems aren’t perfectly straight.
But neither was the road that brought me home.
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Welcome to My LALATOWN
I built a town.
Not with bricks or blueprints, but with paintings, stories, grocery lists, donut trees, neighborhood legends, and people who stayed kind when they had every reason not to.
Welcome to My LALATOWN is a storybook filled with my original illustrations and the little world I spent years creating. Every page was written, painted, designed, and assembled by me—from the first sketch to the final published book.
What started as a painting became a town. What started as a town became a book.
And then I published it.
This project combines illustration, storytelling, world-building, and book design into a single creative work—one that invites readers to wander through LALATOWN and stay awhile.
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This painting comes from nostalgia.
The good kind. The weird kind. The kind that shows up uninvited while you’re doing the dishes.
As a child, I spent a lot of time drawing my town. The streets, the little shops, the everyday chaos. The prizes usually went elsewhere.
So eventually, I solved the problem.
I gave myself a ribbon.
Not gold.
Not silver.
Not bronze.
A Self-Issued Participation Ribbon.
No judges required.
These days, I still paint memories. The happy ones. The complicated ones. The ones that make me laugh years later.
I don’t paint them to win anything.
I paint them because they belong somewhere.
Most of them ended up in LALATOWN.
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Seoul Subway Brush Set
This was the very first Procreate brush set I ever created.
I made it because I couldn’t find the signs I was looking for. I wanted subway-inspired symbols, colors, and station markers for my illustrations, so I started building my own.
Inspired by the visual language of the Seoul subway system, this collection includes not only transit-inspired elements but also small pieces of LALATOWN. Along the way, new destinations appeared—LALATOWN Station, “Let’s Eat,” and other places that don’t exist on any official map.
What began as a practical brush set slowly became a way of building a town. One sign at a time.
Created with care at LALATOWN Studio.
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Welcome to LALA Boonshik
A Procreate Brush Set from LALATOWN Studio
Inspired by Korean street food, neighborhood snack shops, and everyday comfort foods, this brush set was created to help artists illustrate playful food scenes filled with warmth, character, and storytelling.
From tteokbokki and kimbap to cozy moments shared around a table, these brushes celebrate the simple joy of food and community.
Created with care at LALATOWN Studio.
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A Hanbok Day in LALATOWN is a Procreate brush set inspired by traditional Korean clothing, storytelling, and character design.
Created as part of the LALATOWN universe, these brushes were designed to help artists draw hanbok-inspired characters, playful details, and imaginative scenes with warmth and personality.
Created with care at LALATOWN Studio.
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Beautiful Puerto Rico
A Procreate Brush Set from LALATOWN Studio
This brush set was inspired by the balconies, architecture, neighborhoods, and everyday beauty of Puerto Rico.
I created these brushes as part of my ongoing sketching and illustration practice, drawing inspiration from the colorful buildings, historic streets, and small details that make Puerto Rico feel so memorable.
Whether you enjoy urban sketching, travel journals, architectural illustration, or story-driven artwork, these brushes are designed to help bring warmth, character, and a sense of place to your drawings.
Created with care at LALATOWN Studio.
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LALATOWN Fried Rice
As the creator and caretaker of LALATOWN, I often turn everyday moments into small illustrated stories.
For this piece, I created an original character and transformed one of my own cooking scenes—making egg fried rice—into a short animated illustration. Rather than creating a traditional recipe video, I wanted to capture the warmth, humor, and comfort of an ordinary moment through storytelling, hand-drawn details, and gentle movement.
This work is part of the LALATOWN universe, where everyday life becomes a story worth remembering.
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The Wrong Corner of LALATOWN. Not every road leads somewhere useful. Some roads lead directly to the Department of Misguided Regulation. This piece was created from the strange, frustrating, and often ridiculous moments we survive in life. The people who count two strawberries twice. The forms nobody can find. The advice nobody asked for. The seminar you somehow attended by accident. Instead of carrying those moments forever, I turned them into a LALATOWN story. Because every story deserves a LALATOWN ending.
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Before LALATOWN became a town full of stories, it began as a simple blueprint. A few houses, changing skies, and the idea of creating a place of my own. Over time, the town expanded, new corners appeared, and its citizens arrived. This video captures the earliest version of LALATOWN—the beginning of everything.
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Some people see LALATOWN as whimsical. For me, it began as a way to find my way through difficult times. This little corner is made of simple things—an old brass bowl from my parents, small treasures collected over the years, and a handmade bag. Nothing here is expensive. Together, they create a place that reminds me that joy can be built, one small corner at a time.
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Rather than drawing the perfect kimchi recipe, I wanted to capture the experience of making kimchi itself—the mess, the determination, the mountain of dishes, and the small moment of triumph when the jars are finally filled. This illustration turns an everyday kitchen adventure into visual storytelling.
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Holiday 70s Seoul is an illustrated collection inspired by childhood memories and holiday gatherings in Korea. At the time, these moments felt ordinary—relatives arriving throughout the day, endless conversations adults had that children never quite understood, card games around crowded tables, and kids running freely through houses full of people. Looking back, those small moments became some of the most meaningful memories. What might seem chaotic by today’s standards was simply part of the holiday: laughter, stories, scraped knees, bumped heads, and a house full of life.
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Welcome to My LALATOWN is an illustrated world built one story at a time. Filled with neighborhood cafés, grocery lists, handmade dresses, wandering citizens, donut trees, afternoon boonshik, and everyday acts of kindness, LALATOWN grew from a simple belief: that ordinary life can be magical when we pay attention to it. This ongoing project brings together illustration, writing, world-building, handmade creations, and visual storytelling into one living town where everyone is welcome.
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In LALATOWN, even aprons apply for new jobs. It started with a gift—a bright red Asiana Airlines apron embroidered with lotus flowers. I loved it instantly but never wore it. Too elegant for cooking, too shy for storage. So one day, years ago, I gave her a promotion. From apron to pouch. ✈️ I kept the pocket, of course. That’s where secrets belong. I lined her with yellow cotton covered in tiny white flowers—the kind that instantly forgives all bad moods. When I finished, she clicked shut like she meant it. That little snap! was her way of saying, “I’m ready for my next flight.” And then she waited. For years. Until today, when I finally gave her a passport to this journal. Welcome, apron-pouch. You’ve officially cleared customs into LALATOWN. 🌈 This is one of many handmade bags I’ve created over the years. Most of them begin with something forgotten: an apron, a piece of fabric, a dress, or a garment that has reached the end of one life and is ready for another. I love transforming ordinary materials into objects with new stories to tell. People often ask where I bought my bags. Their surprise is always my favorite part. “No, I made it.” In LALATOWN, almost everything gets a second chance.
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Pen drawing is at the heart of many of my illustrations. I love the rawness and immediacy of ink—the way every line records a moment of observation, memory, or imagination. Whether inspired by a place I visited, a photograph I took, or a scene that lives only in my mind, drawing with pen allows me to slow down and notice every small detail. In the world of LALATOWN, these details matter. Every window, sign, flower pot, shop corner, and passerby helps tell a story. My pen drawings are an invitation to look closer and discover the quiet wonders hidden in everyday life.
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Shopping Day in LALATOWN is part of my LALATOWN series, a collection of illustrations inspired by comfort, kindness, and everyday wonder. Created during a difficult chapter of my life, this piece reflects a simple wish: to walk through a peaceful neighborhood with my dog, take my time, and enjoy the ordinary joys of daily life. Through LALATOWN, I transform hopes, memories, and small moments of happiness into visual stories that feel both personal and universal.
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Cafe Macchiato is a story-driven illustration inspired by a beloved neighborhood café in Puerto Rico. Rather than documenting a place exactly as it appears, I reimagined it through the lens of LALATOWN, filling the scene with everyday details, local characters, memories, and small moments of warmth. This piece is part architectural portrait, part visual storytelling, and part love letter to a place that made people feel at home.
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