Kathy Nam ✷

IS A GRAPHIC DESGIENR / ILLUSTRATOR
CRAFTING VISUAL DIRECTIONS,
CREATIVE & CONTEMPORARY.

CalArts ‘26 GD Alum
BASED IN LOS ANGELES & SEATTLE

( EMAIL )

( @YTHAKWORK )

WORKS

EXHIBITION / EVENTS

BRANDING

PUBLICATION

UI / UX

FILM / MOTION

PACKAGING

IllUSTRATION

SELECTED WORKS

Through the Pane

Through the Pane is a wayfinding group project addressing the tragic bird collisions we experienced firsthand. Birds frequently hit our Graphic Design BFA 3 and MFA studio windows at CalArts, with most either dying or suffering internal injuries due to their small, fragile bodies. Our team, DeMAKe, aimed to foster empathy and save the lives of these birds by offering practical solutions.

2024

wayfinding.
exhibition.
publication.
installation.

Team Project: DeMAKe
Maria Garsa, Kathy Nam, Alro Robbins, Dain Yoon

< Start Point >

We hung origami birds on the trees at the starting point of the path to subtly indicate that the project is about birds.
Along the path leading to the final destination, we installed stepping stones on the ground featuring fun facts
and information about birds, encouraging visitors to follow the path.

< Hallway Path >

Attached the origami birds to the walls to convey the constraints and tension imposed by human spaces.

< Be a Bird >

We also created an interactive zone where visitors could experience what it feels like to be a bird,
with ambient sounds of birds hitting windows.

< Final Destination >
At the final destination—the BFA3 studio windows—we covered the windows with illustrations of a fictional,
heartwarming fairy tale we developed, presented as 6-inch squares. In front of this installation,
visitors could see small tombstones representing the birds that had died. From a distance, the reflections of
nature in the windows blended harmoniously with the illustrations, creating a unified visual experience.
This space also offered an interactive opportunity for visitors to place flowers in front of a tombstone of their choice.

< Final Destination Illustration >
I was mainly in charge of the window panels.
I developed the illustration style to be more narrative, reinforcing the storytelling aspect of the project.
Additionally, I incorporated origami-inspired patterns into the backgrounds of each scene,
allowing the patterns, illustrations, and individual narratives of each scene to come together cohesively.
Through this process, I explored how patterns could function as part of the background while also carrying
narrative meaning, and how different patterns could visually convey the themes and stories behind each scene.

< Origami Patterns >

< Brochure >
We were inspired by the folding creases of bird origami, so we designed the brochure in an origami-like form.
We also included a small bird origami instruction handout inside the brochure,
allowing people to fold the brochure themselves for a playful, interactive experience.

< Memorial Stones & Flowers >
A memorial stone was designed to honor birds lost to window collisions.
Separate flowers were placed nearby, allowing visitors to pick them up and place them
in front of the stone as a quiet, interactive act of remembrance.