THEMIS K.

šŸ¦ˆ šŸŖ¼ šŸ¬ šŸ” šŸ¦‘ šŸ¦ž šŸ‹ šŸ  šŸŽ£
NYC-based multi-disciplinary designer (& fish fanatic) who designs and codes websites, animates, makes books, made a chrome extension (once), and more.Ā 

My work is maximalist in nature ā€” not necessarily visually, but through the inclusion of many thoughts and ideas. I approach design using a research based process through the meticulous collection of visuals and writing.

Aside from the ocean my other interests include fashion, art, culture, technology, archiving, and food history.Ā 

BFA in Communication Design, minors in Art & Design History and Immersive Storytelling from Parsons School of Design.

site last updated: Ā June 10th, 2025.
THEMIS.KUNG.01@GMAIL.COM
@THEMISNK
PLAYTIME
VIDEO & SOCIAL



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(1)
SORTiE

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branding. 3D. packaging design. motion graphics.ui/ux.

SORTiE is a speculative project exploring the future of public waste collection. If youā€™ve ever walked around NYC, the trash problem is imminent. There are piles of trash everywhere leading to pedestrian obstruction and a plethora of city-wide sanitation issues. This led me to do more research regarding the current state of waste collection in NYC, leading to the discovery of how improper waste disposal is one of the biggest contributing factors to the waste management problem in the city. I also learned just how bad the rodent problem is, and how the trash problem is at the root of many other health, safety, and systemic issues the city faces.Ā 

I looked at other cities such as Tokyo and Amsterdam and their waste management systems. Through this, I learned about underground waste processing systems that work through tubes. I sought inspiration through video games such as The Sims where I got an idea of what speculative functions bins could have.Ā 

As the target demographic would be the general public, which covers a large range of ages, I knew I needed to create something that appealed to children yet remained easy to use for older citizens. This is where SORTiE ( a play on the French word for exit) came to life ā€” a smart trashcan that encourages the public to sort their waste properly.Ā 

SORTiE is controlled through itsā€™ no-contact e-ink display to ensure a smooth, hygienic experience. The interface allows users to indicate the type of waste they are discarding, and SORTiE slides open different compartments accordingly. The smart technology in SORTiE checks that the objects discarded are in the proper compartment. The bin contains self-cleaning UV lights and is attached to various tubes so the waste exits the bin frequently to prevent buildup. Additionally, this small additional step in discarding waste aims to shift our consumption habits and allow us to reflect on how we may be able to cut down on our waste production.Ā 




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(2)
THE_ESTATE_MiS_
SALE


web design. web development. art direction.

Iā€™m (the alternate me) dead. All my remaining material items that have potential for sale are being auctioned. Through this process, I am condensing my entire existence into material objects. However, upon closer inspection, one comes to realize that these items arenā€™t real. Was I even real?

I took photos of everything I owned at the time and ran those through DALL-E (the older version when it wasnā€™t eerily good yet). This created non-existent objects that were grounded in reality. This prompted questions about how we determine the value of an object without knowing what itā€™s made of. Do we still project our constructs onto them? Will our realization that these objects cannot physically exist influence our perception? Also, why do I feel like I want some of these items even though I technically own them already?Ā 

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(3)

RHIZOME:
A (BRIEF) HISTORY OF SOFTWARE ART
video editing. social post.


As part of Rhizomeā€™s promotional campaign for their Rhizome World exhibition, this carousel post was created to provide a brief introduction to both Rhizomeā€™s work and the history of software art. Taking inspiration from old video footage and analog technology, this work was created as part of my position at Digital Counsel in collaboration with the team. Ā 



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(4)
THE COMPLICATED BEAUTY OF INAUTHENTIC FOOD


book design. cover design. art direction.
writing.Ā 

In addition to my interest in fish, Iā€™ve had a growing fascination with the origins of dishes in various cuisines ā€” particularly how culture, emigration, colonialism, and class have played a part.Ā 

This saddle-stitch book contains my writing for a research project into the origins of foods I grew up eating and how they can be seen as inauthentic, despite being so vital to the culture of Hong Kong cuisine. This idea of inauthentic food began to grow into a deeper exploration of food as a mode of cultural sharing, serving as an emblem of history intertwined with people's stories and identities. Ā 

The book begins by exploring my personal experience growing up and eating at Hong Kong-style diners known as Cha Chaan Teng.These restaurants were established to allow the lower-class Hong Kong Chinese to indulge in the same luxuries as British colonizers through food. Whilst this writing and research draws from my personal experiences, I hope to expand my understanding of food origins through reading about other people's experiences. This prompted me to create this book and share my ideas with others, inviting any feedback and input. If you'd like to read this please send me an email!Ā 



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(5)
PERFORMINGĀ 
ARTIST WEBSITE

web design. web development. art direction.

This portfolio site was created for Lavinia Eloise Bruce, an interdisciplinary artist who works with music and dance.Ā 

The site itself is an extension of performance and the stage. Rather than navigating through scrolling through the browser window, each element of the site appears based on different cues (as if they were all performers). Each piece of text, image, and video has a distinct role and choreography, reflecting the rhythm and intentionality of Laviniaā€™s work.Ā 

Backstage, a dynamically linked spreadsheet acts as the script or score, orchestrating the site's content in real time. This allows the site to remain fluid and adaptableā€”allowing the performance to evolve, just like a live performance.Ā 

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(6)
CONSIDERĀ 
THE LOBSTER

cover design.
book design.
illustration.
Ā 

This laser-printed saddle stitch book uses the text from David Foster Wallaceā€™s essay Consider The Lobster. Known for itā€™s unconventionally long footnotes, sometimes spanning close to half a page long, the text opened an exploration into how these unique footnotes could manifest in a printed book form.Ā 

When reading this essay, what struck me wasnā€™t the length of the footnotes. Rather, it was the way the footnotes read, presenting as a story of itā€™s own. I wanted to highlight this unconventional approach to writing through the design of the book.Ā 

This saddle stitch booklet contains two separate interior partsĀ ā€”Ā one for the main text and one for the footnotes. This gives the reader the option to explore the text in different waysĀ ā€” footnotes only, text only, both simultaneously, or some other way I am unable to fathom with my mind.Ā 

The use of ASCII art repeats the words ā€˜Consider The Lobsterā€™. This was inspired by the subversion of footnotes in this essay. Whilst footnotes are often disregarded, or seen as afterthoughts in most writing cases, the footnotes in Wallaceā€™s essay come together to tell a story. In the same way, these small letters come together to create the imagery in this book.Ā 


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Ā (7)Ā 
FORCING EVERYTHING Iā€™VE LOST TO RETURN.


video, 20m. website. 3D animation. etched marble. metal book. Ā 

Does everything online last forever?

FORCING EVERYTHING Iā€™VE LOST TO RETURN. began by exploring this through a quest: to look for livestreams that I had made as a child on a now-defunct app. Similar to many of my peers, I had unrestricted internet access at an early age. Uh oh. That means everything Iā€™ve ever done online is forever documented somewhere... At least thatā€™s what I was told growing up. But I guess this isnā€™t true. Not everything online is forever ā€” nothing is.

Aside from my self-documentation online, vast documentation of myself exists through physical photographs and videos ā€” the most compelling being the videos of my birth. As I continued work on this project, an interest in physical and personal archives arose. This expanded the investigation to explore the connection between physical and digital artifacts, memory, loss, and preservation, within a rapidly evolving technological context. Over time, a new question came to the forefront: How can I make something last forever?

This work further defines my creative practice ā€” from process to output. FORCING EVERYTHING Iā€™VE LOST TO RETURN. is unequivocally an amalgamation of my interests and thoughts made accessible to others.

Read more about FORCING EVERYTHING Iā€™VE LOSE TO RETURN
Published in Framework 103


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ME/ROBOT/FISH


3D animation. sound design. video, 1m 40s.Ā 

As an ocean lover, one of my biggest dreams in life is to become a fish. When I watched Ponyo as little Themis, I was so envious of her underwater life. Then, I began scuba diving and was so amazed by how beautiful the depths of the ocean are. I wanted nothing more than to rip my regulator out and be able to breathe underwater.Ā 

In ME/ROBOT/FISH my dreams become a reality. After selling my successful startup, I build a private lab and turn myself into a robot fish.Ā 

This short film was made in Maya, and the sound effects were recorded by myself, or sourced from freesounds.org.Ā Most of the animation is from motion capture and I was actually in the suit!Ā 




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(9)
256FISH

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laser-printed book. 11ā€ x 4ā€.

This book indexes 256 images of fish and fish related objects documenting both my obsession with fish and our evolutionary ties to them. Dispensed on a dollar store toy fishing rod, the book features two parts. The first is a sixteen-page collaged accordion of an imagined timeline, beginning with the first fish to evolve on land and ending with the retaliation of ocean creatures in response to over-fishing and commodification. The 256-page index serves as the second part of the book, and also the bulk of it ā€” reflecting a deep dive into the ocean. Each index entry corresponds to the guide on the reverse of the accordion.

As our evolutionary ancestors, I think the human condition has deep ties to fish. Our relationship to fish ā€” from worship to commodification ā€” acts as a reflection of our relationship to one another.Ā 


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FREELANCE WORK

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editorial design. book design. cover design. motion graphics. poster design. illustration. packaging design. social content.video editing. merchandise.

Here are some other projects Iā€™ve worked on! Iā€™ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse range of clients including music artists/producers, theatre groups, gift shops, and non-profits.Ā 

This has allowed me to create designs and creatively direct projects that live digitally and physically accross platforms, interacting with various communities and groups.Ā 

Iā€™m currently open to collaborating on new projects. If youā€™d like to work together or just chat send me an email!Ā