Q. Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Johnny Q — an artist and creative director. For about ten years, I worked in the advertising industry, connecting emotions between brands and people through visuals. Now, I’m exploring new forms of visual language in AI video while continuing my personal work that visualizes my inner world, moving between everyday life and fantasy to express the essential emotions within me.

Q. What led you to pursue the path of an artist?

Since childhood, drawing has been my most natural way of expression. It always felt more accurate than words. Growing up in the U.S. and later living in Korea, I often questioned “Who am I?”—and that search for identity naturally led me to express myself visually.

Q. You’ve worked on character development for various brands such as Space Monster and Tmon. Which character do you feel most attached to?

The one I feel most connected to is the character that represents myself. It reflects the idea that everyone carries a small monster inside — cute on the outside, yet filled with complex emotions and imperfections. In a way, it’s a self-portrait of my inner world.

Q. What do you consider your representative work?

It would be my recent collaboration piece, “Keep Going, Don’t Stop.” The message — keep moving forward — is also my life motto. When you keep going, the path eventually reveals itself. You stumble, pause, and rise again, but every step makes you stronger. This work is both a visual record of that human journey and a message I wanted to give to myself.

Q. Family often appears in your work. What draws you to this theme?

Family is the most honest mirror for me. Watching my daughter, I’ve realized how powerful purity can be. To me, family represents the most fundamental human emotions — love, sacrifice, and imperfection — all condensed into one symbol.

Q. Could you tell us about your recent street art project, “TAKE IT OR ENJOY IT”?

This project is an attempt to reinterpret street art. I wanted to show that street art isn’t just an illegal act of expression, but can also be an open gallery for everyone to enjoy. I see the city’s walls and streets as one large exhibition space, where people can naturally encounter art in their daily lives. In the end, the message is simple — you can either take it as it is, or enjoy it for what it brings.

Q. You seem to have a strong interest in AI as well. How do you view the relationship between this new field and art?

I see AI as both a tool and a new language. What truly matters is what you want to say — the how comes afterward. Technology doesn’t replace art, but I believe it serves as another sense that expands an artist’s imagination.

Q. Could you tell us about your collaboration with SEVEN EIGHT UNDER?

The theme of this collaboration was “energy within imperfection.” I combined the brand’s unique sensibility with my own visual language to express the raw human energy through color and form. The flame sculpture attached to the midsole embodies the idea of KEEP GOING — the act of running forward. Through this project, I was able to experience firsthand the powerful synergy that emerges when art and fashion come together.

Q. In your work “Dream Spectrum,” the phrase “a single, identical self” stands out. What does the unchanging essence of the self mean to you?

The outer world and our emotions are in constant flux, but at the center, there’s always another version of myself observing it all. I call it the “watching self.” Even when the world shakes or emotions waver, holding on to that perspective — that quiet awareness — is, to me, the essence of an unchanging self.

Q. The phrase “the human face that tries, falls, and rises again” in “Keep Going, Don’t Stop” feels very powerful. Was this inspired by a personal experience?

Yes, it was. During my years in advertising, I often struggled between creativity and reality — the frustration of not being able to fully express what I wanted, and the drive that pushed me to pick up the brush again. Those emotions ultimately became the root of the message: keep going.

Q. As an artist, what is your ultimate goal or a project you hope to pursue in the future?

Ultimately, I want to create a media platform that visualizes the language of emotion — a space where painting, sculpture, fashion, and video are all connected. My goal is to build a place where people don’t just see my work, but truly feel it.

Q. Lastly, could you share a message or word of encouragement for those moving forward with their own “unstoppable steps”?

It’s okay not to be perfect — what matters is the attitude of never stopping. I believe the act of moving itself is more important than the direction. Whether it’s failure or success, every step you take becomes part of your own story.