Art can come in numerous forms, shapes and sizes, and sculpting is just one of those many mediums. Sculpting is the art of creating or representing something by means of carving, casting or other shaping techniques.

Senior Joseph Kim enjoys sculpting in his free time. He originally began his art portfolio with paintings and drawings, and attributes his shift from two-dimensional forms into sculpting to his desire for more artistic freedom. “When I’m actually counting or tying stuff, I feel like I’m adding more of my personal touch to my works,” he said.

When Kim begins a project, he starts with whatever idea pops into his mind and adds to it later. “I [used to] not start [creating art] until I had a solid idea, but now I [start] a project and go with the flow,” he said. “I feel like it’s more true to myself.” Additionally, Kim believes that ideas for art should not necessarily only be the ones that were derived through hours of deep thought. “It’s not like I sit down and brainstorm ideas about art because that’s unrealistic,” he said. “I have a life to live.”

Kim posts a plethora of sculpting examples to his Instagram. One of his favorite sculpture creations is of a shape that represents a balloon, but has an unusual texture for an actual balloon. “I was playing with the idea of irony,” he said. “If you look at it, it looks like a balloon, but when you actually touch it, it’s hard…I really like the piece because I spent so much time on it.”

As daunting as sculpting may sound, Kim urges sculpting novices to expand art forms and experiment with different materials. “Don’t be afraid to step out of the box and use different materials,” he said. “You just have to do what you like doing, because it gets you far.”