Strike a pose! On the surface, the frenetic characters and colors who inhabit Korean artist DONGZADONGHWI’s work are dramatic enough to turn heads in busy traffic. But one double-take reveals a whole ecosystem of emotions roiling beneath the surface. As a millennial on the cusp of South Korea’s tidal wave of global influence, DONGZADONGHWI’s childhood was tumultuous, but it was still a childhood rooted in the 90s nevertheless. Thus, a fascination with rock and roll idols developed, the more rebellious the better. From Japan’s Hide to England’s David Bowie and back again to native Korean rock star SeoTaiji, these solitary figures loomed larger, louder, and more colorful than life itself to the young artist- and their styles, attitudes, and even poses still strut beneath the strokes of his artwork today. Yet, they are also in conversation with the patterns and images found in traditional Korean folklore, the kind of stories filled with hope that are so often told to boys and girls who cannot go to sleep at night. Given this context, the frequent motif of a bird is a fitting choice for an artist who approaches each work like a chapter in a bildungsroman, mixing equal parts childlike wonder with reckless teenage abandon to produce something that yearns to break free and take flight upon a global stage. As a video artist since 2015, DONGZADONGHWI enjoys collaborating with musicians and his progression to the realm of web3 was a natural one- his thirst for color only rivaled by his search for life’s meaning beyond mediums, from painting to sculpture and now NFTs.
The yellow teddy bear at the center of Korean Artist Mine Kim’s work, named “NOBODY”, is also the star of their own life, and seems to have lived a million of them so far. As such, their adventures may seem oddly familiar to viewers. Bright, button-eyed, and bursting at the seams to be noticed, that teddy bear is YOU! Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s you, but it’s also me… It’s everybody, but more importantly, nobody. Confused? That’s to be expected. Life is confusing, and other people’s lives even more so. As a fairy tale illustrator and devotee of James Joyce, Mine Kim’s semi-autobiographical series “Dear NOBODY” delights in elevating the everyday to extraordinary heights through the eyes of her cuddly main character, and relishes in portraying all the details and people that occupy that space and time with us, often simultaneously. Likewise, by literally naming her bear “NOBODY,” Mine Kim is able to defy age, gender, occupation, nationality, and more to bring us closer to something like a “universal experience” of the everyday person. In the words of the artist: “The Meaning of the meaningless’ is the most important phrase in my artwork. Thus, NOBODY could be everybody.”
Blue is the tried and true tune of the melancholic masses. This much everyone knows to be true. But must it be the only truth? After all, is there any greater sign of optimism than a cloudless summer sky, resplendent in its vastness and brimming with hope? For Korean artist Lee Hyosun, blue is the shadow that lines her soul, and by making eye contact with her blue hazy-eyed figures, we too can step inside her universe and bathe in its serene afterglow. Indeed, for the characters in Lee Hyosun’s work, eye contact and body language seem to be the only way to communicate- for they don’t have mouths. And this is intentional! Language can be tricky, but eyes never lie, and actions always speak louder than words. In viewing her work, Lee Hyosun pushes viewers toward self-reflection, and urges us to remember that we cry for two reasons: When we are happy, and when we are sad, and at that time we use the same blue color.
Rowa is illustrator, digital artist, and fashion designer. There is just something so alluring about the worlds she creates, and the conflicting elements she brings to the table are often as delicious as they are grotesque. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of salty.
“While majoring in fashion, I especially liked Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, and the mix and match of feminine lace materials and mannish and strong leather materials, and the heterogeneous combination of traditional British clothing, punk, and deconstructionist details. The inspiration I received from this has continued into my current work.”
Rowa is illustrator, digital artist, and fashion designer. There is just something so alluring about the worlds she creates, and the conflicting elements she brings to the table are often as delicious as they are grotesque. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of salty.
“While majoring in fashion, I especially liked Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, and the mix and match of feminine lace materials and mannish and strong leather materials, and the heterogeneous combination of traditional British clothing, punk, and deconstructionist details. The inspiration I received from this has continued into my current work.”
Molly is a product of the times, and his characters reflect it. Multicultural and multinational is the name of the game, and stepping into his comic book Universe is like dunking your head in a retro pinball machine, in a good way! Ricocheting between the subcultures of hip hop, cyberpunk, and skateboarding, his artwork reflects the visual language of each and explores where they overlap and rub off on each other. In doing so, he is able to bring his themes to life through the use of conceptual characters that mirror unique qualities in humorous situations, and present captivating stories that challenge prejudice in the age of the internet
Love is a concept that has been packaged and sold to us by all manner of advertisers and dreamers, and for good reason. It’s just so darn appealing. But for Korean artist Johnny Boy, he wants to present it as it truly is, unwrapped and free of all the boxes that contain it. As a student of automobile design, illustration, and fine arts in the U.S., his work adores texture and delights in its use, whether his characters are squished, solid, or runny, and he draws massive inspiration from the science and engineering side of the spectrum, a place not normally known for emotion. In his latest “Wrapped” and “Duplication” series based on the process of cell division, his signature heart characters melt and stretch into physically impressive but no doubt terrifying shapes. This is used to represent the extent to which we love one another beyond all sweetness and into sacrifice and devotion. LIkewise, as an artist who once described art as a “life force,” Johnny Boy’s central theme is always to always to “love and be loved,” which is a lofty aspiration to both live by and pursue creatively.
Imagine a world destroyed by “high intellect’s” high technology. Not hard to do, we see signs of it everywhere in the form of environmental pollution and climate change. Now imagine a world fully healed by the hand of the divine, a planet whose fantastical flora and fauna positively blossom within a strange and ever evolving garden of Eden. Welcome to the fever dream of Korean artist Kim Jiwon, aka Will’s Planet, a place where the food chain has been turned upside down and humans now inhabit the lowest rungs on the ladder both intellectually and physically. Inspired by the imaginative musings of a lonely childhood and the accompanying graffiti doodles that emerged in high school and later military training, Will’s Planet is a positive spin on a post-world scenario. Think “Adventure Time” meets “Don’t Starve” with a dash of Hieronymous Bosch for good measure. Through every frame, Will’s Planet conveys a sense of infinite potential in the absence of our own worldly affairs, and of future adventures yet untold.
GDR is a multidisciplinary artist with a pedigree in fine art photography, film and design. His work vividly expresses the ineffable interstices between the humans, nature and the subconscious, with an uncanny chiaroscuro flourish reminiscent of the old masters. GDR’s integration of modern technique and practices have made him a favorite in the NFT art movement and elite publications alike. He lives and works in Manhattan, NY and holds a Master of Interdisciplinary Arts from The University of Washington.
Storm Ritter is an ambidextrous artist, designer, and business owner of Storm Ritter, Inc. in Greenwich Village, NYC. Full time painter, she specializes in studio art, painted fashion, scenic/costume design, murals, visual marketing, and retail/e-commerce sales.
January to February 2022, Storm completed a 60-foot building mural, Age Of The Cool People. The large-scale painting provided a design foundation for NFTs, custom garments, jewelry, and art prints. March to August, Storm focused on expanding her collection of fine art and jewelry, catered to garment & canvas commissions and showed in various group shows in Soho. September – October, Storm opened her second solo show, Cirque of The Cool People, in Meatpacking, NYC with Gallery 23 NY.
Jay Gittens, known to the art world as The Love Child, is a self taught painter who launched into the scene selling his work on the busy streets of Soho. After immigrating to New York from his birthplace of Grenada, The Love Child found his voice in the colorful and vivid paintings that would go on to become his charismatic style. Inspired by his youth living in an island country, he brings the rich imagery and colors he was surrounded with growing up to his artwork. His exuberant style can be described as expressive, whimsical and playful. The Love Child makes use of warm vivid colors in his paintings which he believes affect the positive and pleasurable senses of his audience. Not wanting to be constrained by a singular mode, his work passes between narrative and more abstract imagery in a harmonious way. Both hold the presence and power of a singular artist with a unique sense of individuality.
His painting practice has been honed over years of experimentation, touching different edges of the surreal, the figurative, and the abstract. His foray into Crypto Art began in February 2021, minting NFT’s that were digital collages of his own paintings, before progressing into digital paintings, animations, and AI artwork.
Zachary Laine was born on February 18th 1990 in Manhattan, New York. Although he spent his early years in Miami, Zachary Laine is a New York City-based artist who draws inspiration from the concrete metropolis of the Big Apple. Having spent his childhood in the music and art world with artist parents who worked and were friends with Keith Haring, Zachary Laine has been developing his artistic vision for a lifetime. Originally time spent with his father, a contractor in upstate New York, helped give Zachary Laine concrete inspiration in developing his work. In contrast, his mother was responsible for instilling a passion for painting wherein Zachary gained an understanding of color and composition.
James Romberger’s drawings are in the collections of the Metropolitan, Brooklyn, Newark, Philadelphia and Parrish Museums, Harvard and the Library of Congress. His art has been exhibited at Grace Borgenicht, PPOW, Gracie Mansion and many other galleries in New York, most recently at James Fuentes and the Seoul Museum of Art. Romberger has been published by Marvel, DC/Vertigo, Dark Horse, Image and Fantagraphics; his graphic novels include his Eisner-nominated Post York, and the New York Times bestseller 7 Miles A Second with David Wojnarowicz, that was also on display in the New Museum’s 1999 Wojnarowicz retrospective, and exhibited in MoMA’s millenium show “Open Ends.” Other works he’s drawn include 2020 Visions, Bronx Kill, Aaron and Ahmed, and the Ignatz-nominated The Late Child and Other Animals.
Rick Prol was born and raised in New York City where he currently lives and works. He attended Cooper Union College in 1980 and began showing his work publicly in 1982, during the then burgeoning East Village art scene. As art artic Eleanor Heartney writes, “The East Village art scene of the 80`s thrived on the romance of slumming in an era of widespread economic prosperity. Rick Prol was an icon of that era, known for his cartoonish tableaux of mayhem, murder and suicide set in a rat-infested world somewhere east of First Avenue” (Art in America, 1993)
