- We would love to hear more about your artistic journey, from your roots in Incheon, South Korea, to your current status as a rising star in the visual arts industry. Your unique style is truly inspiring, with its cyborg, futuristic, and transhumanism-inspired themes. We are curious about how you developed this aesthetic and what draws you to these particular themes in your artwork.
To begin with, I started with simple programs such as Photoshop and After Effects back in 2017, which was also the year that I started to create personal artwork, mainly inspired by “Olly Moss”, who is a British Graphic Designer. After experimenting with a Glitch Effect called “Pixel sorting”, I transitioned into fully 3D after my military service ended in the year 2022.
I was mostly inspired by the game “Cyberpunk”, and also movies and animations such as “Ghost in the Shell” while I was learning 3D.
The complex mechanical elements and the artificial beings featured in those movies/shows were so amazing to me, and I was immediately drawn into creating similar artworks, as I wanted to recreate them in my own capabilities and style.
The limitation while dealing with 2D / Static artworks is that I couldn’t create the things I always wanted to create, however learning 3D has given me the ability to actually express myself.
2. Your skills in 3D rendering, design, animation, and AR animation are truly exceptional. We are impressed by your versatility and your ability to maintain a cohesive vision for your work across different mediums. Can you share more about your creative process and how you approach each medium?
I believe that my creative process is rather simple, whenever I get an idea or something inspires me (It’s usually when I get up and after getting ready for school) I just write down whatever it is in my head in simple sentences on my notepad, or if I get a good idea of what to create.
After writing down those ideas, whenever I get home and have a bit of free time, I write those sentences into full paragraphs and draw a simple sketch on my iPad and I get to work.
However, most of the time, most of the things I want to create involve learning, as the things I want to create are those things that I cannot just create with the base knowledge I have. This allows me to just shuffle through countless tutorials on YouTube, I know for a fact that this is out of my skill set, however, I always just try to implement and learn and show it to people.
3. Your work has gained recognition from prestigious organizations and has been displayed in prominent locations worldwide. We imagine this exposure has had a significant impact on your artistic growth. What experiences have had the most significant influence on your journey so far?
I believe that the previous exhibition I have done with “Telos NFT” has had the most significant influence on me recently. As this small exhibition took place in downtown Toronto, I was able to go there with my friend and see it in person. I have done around Nine exhibitions thanks to Superchief NFT / Project 22 / NFT Rome, however seeing my work displayed in person felt amazing because all the time I was invited to an exhibition to exhibit my works, I couldn’t go due to school. This experience felt different, due to the fact that I can actually see people enjoying my work, not online, but in person.
4. Collaboration seems to be an important aspect of your career, having worked with several well-known entities in the industry. Can you tell us about some of your favorite collaborations and how they have contributed to your artistic development?
One of the biggest clients I have worked with in the past is probably SM Entertainment Inc., which is the number one company in the Korean KPOP Industry. This was probably the first time that I have experienced professional client work, with the Seven stages of the Design Thinking Process getting involved. This was a year ago, and I still think about how I even initiated that kind of big project, as It required skills that I had never even touched or heard of. This persuaded me to learn Maxon Zbrush, the basics in about three days with my $20 Wacom tablet. The client gave me 3 weeks to finish the project and I finished it in less than 2 weeks, constantly learning, getting feedback, and going back and forth. I believe that this collaboration with SM made me who I am today, as I still get projects that are not in my level of skill set, however, I always try to overcome it.
5. As a rising talent in the ever-evolving visual arts industry, you are always pushing boundaries with your creations. We are curious about how you stay ahead of the game and continue to innovate. What specific steps do you take to stay ahead of design trends and avoid becoming too mainstream?
I always try to advance my work most of the time, to make it much more realistic, to make a seamless transition, a smoother animation etc., and most of the time, I do not usually focus too much on trying to stay ahead of the game and becoming mainstream. Sometimes I want to get more recognition from more people, but I always thought that It would be best for me to just learn, implement and show it to people, and at the same time not put too much focus on trends.
6. Finally, I would love to know what advice you would give to aspiring designers looking to break boundaries and carve their unique paths in the industry. Your journey is truly inspiring, and I know that many people could benefit from your wisdom and experience
The best advice I could give to aspiring designers is to never be comfortable, and to be satisfied with the things that you have created. This is the advice that my father gave me when I transitioned into doing 3D a year ago. He always said that there is no perfect, and you have to be unsatisfied in terms of your creations all the time, If I become satisfied and be comfortable about my works, the only thing I will see is my downfall.
I completely agree with the advice that he gave me, and I always try not to become too comfortable, or to be satisfied or to be proud of my work and also my achievements, as being unsatisfied can persuade me to create more, be more consistent and learn, implement and show.
Words by Solwhi Park
Interviewed by Fernanda. Founder, Editor in Chief
