The Bear Balloon- Jibin Im

Jibin Im

Jibin Im is a South Korean contemporary artist who is known for inventing the term “delivery art.” As an artist, Jimbin Im used to walk the road that was far from the path to success. He explained that he felt great bitterness when he found out that the only people who came to his first solo exhibition were his friends or families. Through this experience, Jibin Im tried to find a way to make his art more easily approachable to the public.

Bear Balloon

The Bear Balloon, which is Jibin Im’s most representative art work, was first influenced by the bear brick. When Jibin Im first found out about the Chanel bear brick that was designed by Karl Lagerfield in 2006, he was very shocked by how much it was influential to the public only because of the brand it was titled with. Through the influences of the bear brick character, Jibin Im was able to create his own character of art, the Bear Balloon.

Everywhere Project

Have you ever seen this big round bear while casually walking in the street? The Everywhere project shows the moment when all spaces of life turn into an art gallery. One interesting point of the Everywhere Project is that no one knows the next destination of this Bear Balloon. Jibin Im’s art delivery service does not tend to be limited to one country. Starting with Taipei city in Taiwan in 2016, Jibin Im traveled to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, the US, Europe, and over 50 other cities around the world with his companion Bear Balloon. He was able to teach the joy of art to the public and provide a special gift to the children in impoverished cities.