Artist Interview: Yechan Jung

Multidisciplinary artist Yechan Jung brings to life the magical worlds and creatures you see in your dreams. His works span from stickers, illustrations, tattoo sheets,

prints, fabrics, illustrations, album covers and more. He has collaborated with several popular brands like Beepy Bella, Rhi Dancey, and Stinky Jewelz, as well as the New York Times.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself and what brought you to art. Was there a defining moment in your life when you knew you were an artist?

A: Hi, I am a South Korean artist named Yechan Jung. As an artist, I am inspired by my early memories as a child-how cozy and dreamy the world seemed at that time, and how one small thing could be the next theme of a long daydream. I try to capture and relive those moments through creating.

I’ve always loved to draw since I was little. I remember having this big fascination with mole tunnels when I was about 5. I would fill the whole page with intricate mole tunnels which were homes for different mole families. A mother mole would be reading a magazine in a dimly lit study, kids would be making odd worm snacks in the kitchen, while the father mole would be swimming through a big plastic hose which eventually led to a nearby river. Even now, those ideas still fascinate me, and drawing has always been a perfect way for me to explore them. I feel lucky that I haven’t completely lost that curiosity of a child, and can continue to make something that’s fun for me.

Collaboration with Jelliesbot

Collaboration with Beepy Bella

Q: Walk us through your creative process. Is your work intentional or spontaneous?

A: I would say my creative process is 80% intentional and 20% spontaneous. I doodle whenever I can. When I gather enough doodles, I can spot an ongoing theme, even though I didn’t doodle with a specific theme in my mind. (Recently it has been an office person that owns a lot of watches.) Then I would want to work on a proper piece with that theme-usually with colored pencils on paper. I sketch variations of one situation, trying to find ways to make it more fun and whimsical. I also try to find the most harmonious arrangement and color combinations, without being too predictable. It’s like solving a problem, but I usually have a lot of fun during that process. Once the sketch is done and I have a general idea of what the final piece is gonna look like, I begin with the coloring process. This process doesn’t require that much thinking, so I either listen to music or podcasts. Once I’m done with the coloring, I spend time looking at the piece, while trying to find ways to make it look more balanced and fun. That’s where the spontaneous side takes charge, which is always exciting. (I’m also generally happy during this process, knowing that the piece is almost finished.) After some editing and retouching, the piece is in its full shape.

A: Recently, I’ve opened a new portfolio website and named it “Drawing Lullabies”, because I feel like it captures the intention behind my work pretty well. I’d like the viewers to feel as if they are listening to lullabies when they see my work. Personally, when I listen to lullabies, I feel calm, divided from all the calculations in reality, like I could be as pure as I was as a kid. I can also see my parents when they were younger, singing those lullabies to me, which makes me sad but also helps me realize what’s really important in life. I try to capture these elements in my art and whenever people tell me that my work somehow reminds them of their childhood or it calms them, it gives me a reason to continue practicing and creating. So I would describe my work as “a lullaby”.