AGO Gift Shop

My favourite artist, Sean Martindale is having a show in AGO. The show title is NOW. The opening party is this Friday 7pm. He was very kind to invite me to be a part of his project of taking over AGO souvenir shop. I was super excited to be part of it. I drew on bunch of art-print greeting card boxes and on individual cards. There were 20 cards in each box, and I drew original drawings on them all! I also drew on AGO souvenir pop-up cards. They can be available for purchase in February, but you can see them at AGO gift shop in a meanwhile.

Here is the opening party facebook invite:
NOW Facebook Invite

I love the clever idea (I wish I could take credit, but it was Sean's idea!) of making mass-produced art-print items back into original art. 
Here are some shots of the gift shop items. I'm really sick right now. Head spinning and everything! So please pardon me for the poor writing + photograph qualities.

BOX 1

These octopus-like aliens have collective brain. They transimit outer-space broken heart, but they don't feel no emotion. Maybe they just stream thoughts without feelings. Look at that card bundle. I drew on each one of them! (actually, it was fun to do)


BOX 2

This one features bunny destroyers. It's from my sketch thinking about War of the Worlds. These bunnies are relentless destroyers. Hostile beings in space.


BOX 3

Monsters and boxes-within-boxes drawings.

AGO Souvenir Cards

AGO has these ghetto 3d pop-up cards. I got to draw on them!

Lastly... look at all those cards I drew in. Santa Maria. I was a machine, yo.

I have a lot of other news but just could not find time to post them. Please stay tuned for more news. :D

Sneeze!

Sniffle!

Over and out! xoxo

From London, with Love (Process!)

From London, With Love
48" X 36"
Mixed media on wood
Created for amazing Jason B.
Left building is Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the building on the right is a building in front of Bank Station in London, UK.

Happy Happy New Year!
My apologies for the lack of blog post in the month of December. I usually disappear, sucked in by the black hole during the holiday seasons. I've been working at my parents' store for the past 13 years of my life during the holiday rush. We have a store in a mall in Brampton. It is a monstrous place. I worked average 13 hours a day, listening to eternal loop of Carol songs and being yelled at by angry mall customers. I don't understand. If Christmas stress them so much, why bother celebrating? Anyways... my parents usually go on annual vacation on the Christmas day and come back at the end of the first week of January. So my brother and I had to take over the store while they were gone. But this year had been different. They could not afford the annual trip. It's very sad... but I got to have my first ever New Year's Eve, ever!
There were parties, countdown and everything. Just like in the movies. Staying warm inside with one of my favourite movies, Strange Days, I had the best New Years ever. 2011 had been kind to me. I hope 2012 is better than ever. I have a good feeling about it.

To start off 2012 blog post, I present you with the first ever process photos! With my bad memory, I always forget to take photos between steps, so I never got the complete process photos until now. This painting, "From London, with Love" is for Jason B., I am very grateful for his commission. It was the first time for me to paint on such a big canvas (48" X 36"). I worked on oversized papers before, but never painted on a giant canvas. It was challenging and fun at the same time. I'm going to paint more giant paintings in the future for sure.

Lining the floor with newspaper, made sturdy with masking tape. I should really buy a sheet of tarp or something.

Masking out a rough building shape.

Paint paint paint with a giant brush!

Draw in building details. Notice a waving bunny in one of the windows! Can you spot him?

Paint in the River Tame and determine the spot for the pink monster.

Determine the spot for the double decker.

Size comparison! (and show off my new tank top) Thank you very much Lee for taking this photo. I also thank him for helping me deliver the giant painting.

Pictoplasma Paris - Post Digital Monsters Exhibition ( O o O )

7 - 31 DECEMBER 2011

conférences, installations, spectacles,
projections, jeux vidéo

LA GAÎTÉ LYRIQUE
3 bis rue Papin

75003 Paris

Wonderful Motomichi's monster! I LOVE his work. 

Central to the Pictoplasma experience at La Gaîté is an exhibition presenting the work of contemporary character artists: en route for a post-digital era!

With the artists: Shoboshobo (FRA), AJ Fosik (USA), Allison Schulnik (USA), Ben & Julia (FRA - SUI), FriendsWithYou (USA), Hyein Lee (KOR), Jeremy Dower (USA), Jordan Metcalf (ZAF), Joshua Ben Longo (USA), Juan Pablo Cambariere (ARG), MyMO (GER), Nick Cave (USA), Nick Sheehy (AUS) , Nina Braun (GER), Overture (USA), Raymond Lemstra (NED), Rina Donnersmarck (GBR), Roman Klonek (POL), Sarah Illenberger (GER), Steve Alexander (GER)


I am invited to participate in Pictoplasma Paris! I have three pieces in the show. They are going to be exhibited in the prestigious LA GAÎTÉ LYRIQUE gallery.
OH MY GOD!!!!
I tried to act cool, but I just can't. I LIVE for Pictoplasma. I feel like I'm just passing days until I can go to the next Pictoplasma. Having a show at Pictoplasma is a dream come true. I almost fainted. I wish I can go to Paris for the show. I've never been to Paris. It sounds lame, but it's one city I don't want to go alone. I heard it's a romantic city. I am contemplating, but I am saving up for Berlin Pictoplasma next April. I still have two more days to decide... Should I just book the ticket to Paris? *biting nails*
Thank you Lars for this wonderful opportunity. I'm so honoured to be a part of it!

My favourite illustrator and an awesome person Aaron Leighton is also part of the show. All you lucky souls in Paris or near Paris, go check Pictoplasma out! Entire month of December. xo.

Me at Pictoplasma Berlin April 2011 with Motomichi card :D

Motomichi moving monsters in Paris Pictoplasma invitation

Blue + Yellow Phase

울지마, 씨바

Definitely going through blue + yellow phase. They are so awesome together. Baby blue and pink go well together too. Yeah, that's going to be my next drawing. :)

Everything had been blur since two weeks ago. I seriously thought today was last week. December is already here... Maybe I should start drinking coffee. Sorry for bombarding with so many posts past few days. One more to go, and will go back to the regular pace. 

The top sketch was done during pen club, drawing in a bar with bunch of friends. The translation of the title is, "Fuck, don't cry." Right side of the picture says, "Don't draw tears." I was attempting to not draw tears. So instead, I opted for bunch of small cubes. It is a bit strange to write about how I felt couple of months ago because things are quite awesome right now. After I finished my Master's in September, I dug a hole and lived in it for few weeks. I had to re-write my thesis like 28 times and when everything was over, things that I didn't have time to deal with all flooded back. All rolled up in bed sheets, I'd just sit and stared at computer screen, clicking random stuff all day for two weeks. Didn't talk to anyone. Hahaha... I will NEVER pursue another education again. This is it. Let the unlearning begin!

Whenever there is sad times, this song always picked me up, let me get back on my feet. Cradle of Filth's No Time to Cry. Because I truly have... no time to fucking cry.

Thesis paper prints

October 2012 Calendar for Kid Icarus

Cropped bottom

Cropped top

Seriously cool store in Kensington Market, Kid Icarus, invited illustrators to illustrate each month of 2012. I got OCTOBER! Halloween is my favourite holiday, so I was so excited about this. Here are some cropped images of the Calendar.
My stomach hurts a little looking at it because I really want to put wood texture at the background. I will try it once the calendars sell out. There is a limited edition of only 100, so order yours now! A lot of my talented friends are also participating. Here is more info about the 2012 calendar project:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Sunday December 4th 2011, our highly anticipated 2012 Handprinted Calendar will be available for sale at our storefront in Kensington Market. You can also pick up an early copy at Handmade Holiday, Saturday December 3rd, St. Stephen-in-the-Fields. The calendar is a limited edition of 125 copies, with only 100 available for sale at $80 each.

If you are unfamiliar with the project, the concept is to take 12 artists and produce a calendar with each artist choosing one month to illustrate and only two colours to pull it off. There are no guidelines on layout or how the information is presented, the artist has full control. The entire calendar is screen printed by hand from the cover, right through to the backing.
Calendars will be available for sale at Kid Icarus, and other locations (TBA).
Introducing the 2012 Calendar roster:

January February March April May June July August September October November December

Jeannie Phan Selena Wong Melinda Josie Claire Louise Milne Mike Ellis Reverend Aitor Katherine Verhoeven Halley Rigbey Caitlin Taguibao Hyein Lee Nolan Pelletier Anjo Chiang

RGD Ontario Award for Design Thinkers 2011

I won RGD Ontario scholarship for Design Thinkers 2011. Thank you RGD!

This year's Design Thinkers was amazing. RGD arranged me to meet Eric Ryan and Jessica Hische, both of whom I was dying to meet! Yeah and of course I was very scared. I acted very strangely, but let's not talk about that. Their talks were amazingly inspirational.

Hand Lettered Canzine Posters ++ Pink Monster

Wonderful people at Canzine - Thank you Lindsay and Tara! - got me to work on this year's Canzine advertising campaign. Working with them was so much fun. Thank you for letting me do whatever I want to do! These furry fishes were 11X17" posters that were posted all around Toronto. I actually am rarely happy with my work, but I must say, I love the furry fish. I was very proud to see the posters reproduced. The letters "Canzine 2011" were embossed and everything was offset printed on beautiful papers. 

I hand-lettered all the type in the poster and I think that worked much better than computer fonts. This year's theme was "Piracy." I thought of plagiarism. These fish are copying each other in circles. They are mostly unhappy because they are being copied by the other. I got the furry fish idea from this movie/tv show I saw long time ago. It was set in a Victorian era. There still were unknown parts in the world still. Explorers would travel and bring back exotic stuffed animals. I remember the scene where the explorer/traveler brought a stuffed furry fish. It was of course fake, he probably was swindled or made it himself. Maybe he never went overseas. The woman in the scene was so surprised by the furry fish, she dropped the wine glass. That moment is so vivid, but I have no idea what movie that was. Let me know if any of you remember what it was. And are furry fish common thing? Meaning, are they in our collective conscious?

How they are reproduced.

Rough for the poster.

I had a table at this year's Canzine (last month). It was fun as always! Thank you everyone for kindly visiting my table. I took a photo in front of a wall covered with my Canzine posters. So happy!

Advertisement I illustrated and designed for "The Grid" magazine. All hand-lettered.

Lastly, here is another pink monster painting I did! The background is Toronto cityscape. This was commissioned for a wonderful patron. Quite big, 18X24". It was so much fun to work on. I'm so honoured to have my art work hung on his living room. Thank you, you know who you are. xo

Ammo Magazine + Art Elemento Features // if humans can love a machine

Ammo is UK based illustration magazine. I'm a huge fan of this beautiful publication, so I'm honoured to be included in the Issue #8. Thank you, Dave!

Awesome cover by talented Toronto illustrator Jess!

Ammo magazine is only £5. It's full colour with beautiful images. Go check it out!

Art Elemento, an English art magazine from Kwangju, Korea had been kind enough to feature my work in their wonderful website. The cover shows my noodle cup promo. Joe, the awesome editor showcased my work in four-page spread. I am very grateful.

I wrote the article for my section. I feel so insecure about my writing. I hope I didn't babble too much. You can read the whole thing for free here:

Because I've been too busy to upload on my blog, there still are so many catching up to do. I hope I remember everything. Sorry for being so scattered.

There was a big change in my life a month ago. I finally decided to join the human civilization and buy a cellphone. I know, I know. If you ever talked to me before, you know that I made some dumb iPhone apps. I made apps and don't have a cellphone?! I was probably the only Korean in the world without a cellphone. I felt like floating and smug. But deep inside, I knew that as soon as I get a smart phone, I'd be horribly addicted to it. And I was right; I'm hopelessly addicted. I feel a little uneasy without it. For the first time in a month, I took a walk without my cellphone tonight, and it felt liberating.
No, I don't really need a smart phone. I'm home all day anyways, why do I need a tiny computer with me all the time? The only thing that push me over the edge was... twitter. I envied my friends twitting photos via mobile. I had to take photos with a digital camera, import the photo to my computer, turn on the internet, and then tweet. Now, I can be like a normal person, just take the photo with a goddamn phone and tweet right away. God, certain material possession can definitely make a person happier. I love you, smart phone. Yes, I bought a smart phone for purely superficial and useless reasons. Gut me.