Hyun Jung Jun’s Obsessions
by Ben Kim Paplham (MFA 2021)
Illustrations by Luis Carrasco
When alum Hyun Jung Jun (BFA 2014) made her first foray into baking, it was simply to make a birthday cake for her boyfriend (now husband). But something clicked. Jun began baking cakes for friends and family, edible sculptures of buttercream domes adorned with colorful fruit and coiling meringue.
For an artist who had been initially drawn to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) for the interdisciplinary environment and had incorporated elements of sculpture, photography, performance, and painting into her installations, the practice of sculpting with food was unexpectedly and delightfully calming. Jun launched Dream Cake Test Kitchen in 2020, a name that fits the fantasy island aesthetic her cakes evoke. She sat down with us to share a few of her recent obsessions.
RAVINIA PICNICS
Summertime is all about tradition for us. My mom and I recently went to see our first performance of the season at Ravinia and we had an incredible time. While we love sitting in the pavilion or the smaller halls for intimate performances, this summer we are trying out the lawn for the first time so my baby Sophie can join us for one of the larger shows. The picnic scene at Ravinia is truly next level, and I absolutely cannot wait to pack up our picnic materials.
SUMMER FARMERS MARKETS
We cannot talk about summer without talking about farm produce and farmers markets! Evanston has a fantastic farmers market and my family goes almost every Saturday. Our first stop is always Henry’s Farm; they have incredible Asian varieties, especially Korean and Japanese produce. I love heading into the city to visit the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. If I bring Sophie along with me to that one, we make a point to stop by the Lincoln Park Zoo afterward to say hello to the cows, goats, chickens, seals, flamingos, lions, and birds.
COOKIES + TEA
Whenever I am near Gold Coast, I always make a pit stop at Chicago Health Foods to grab a gochujang cookie made by my lovely friend Beebe Roh from SuperSlo Bakery. Both the flavor and texture are completely addicting, and it has the perfect amount of spiciness. One of my favorite cookies!
I am also a huge fan of Han Cha, the stunning new tea salon at the old abandoned Stony Island Arts Bank. My dear friend, [Board of Governors Member] Heiji Choy Black, is behind the spot, and everything about it, from the aesthetic of the space and furniture to the curated teas, Korean-inspired food, and Theaster Gates’s ceramic ware, is incredible and thoughtfully executed.
Nature
My friends and family and I all try to make an effort to be closer to nature. So right now, I am absolutely loving my dad’s poppy flower bed! It is incredibly vibrant, with more flowers blooming every day, and some of them have really beautiful layered petals. Poppies are one of my favorite flowers, so checking in each morning to see how the garden is developing has been a nice routine. ■
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