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.
https://www.instagram.com/johnnyboy_official/


[Johnny Boy]

In a world where the ordinary meets the magical, 'NOBODY', a yellow teddy bear, begins its extraordinary journey at the center of a splendid party. This gathering is more than just a celebration; it's an assembly filled with joy and wonder. 'NOBODY' stands in the middle of a room aglow with warm light. The surroundings are filled with the twinkling of soft lights and the sound of laughter, and a large, ornately wrapped gift descending from above captures everyone's attention. This gift, the most magnificent and mysterious at the party, leads everyone into a moment of shared anticipation. As 'NOBODY' unwraps the gift, the room begins to transform. A space where the past, present, and future converge, partygoers watch in awe as 'NOBODY' is enveloped in light. The opening of the gift box reveals not just an object but
a promise—a promise of discovery, growth, and understanding the true essence of Gifts.

These captured moments testify to 'NOBODY's' journey. Chosen by fate, the teddy bear traverses unknown worlds, encounters untold wonders, and returns transformed, bearing the tale of a journey like a gift.


[Miné.K] The Present

Rapidly developing technologies and trends sometimes feel unfamiliar or disconcerting, but they always provide new stimulation. Melty, the character who will be my persona in the tech society, is a friend who will connect the real world with the virtual world (or the world of imagination.
With an open attitude to new technologies and trends, your persona will embark on an incredible journey in the tech world through constant exploration and discovery.


 [Molly] Hello, world!

I used a painting from over 10 years ago as a motif of this work.
It was a picture of me sitting in the black and blue water. At the time, I was obsessed with documentaries related to the deep sea, and when I came across those dark and heavy images of the deep sea, it made me feel like I was looking at myself, who was exhausted at the time.
When you are tired, I think just being aware of your tired situation can be of great help. I have heard many times that they received sympathy and comfort after seeing this work. There are times when everyone faces situations where they fall into a deep state, and I worked with the hope that it wouldn't be too dire. It may not be easy, but I hope that you can face yourself falling into the depths without fear and calmly come back to the surface.



[Mothfly] The Deepsea man

Featured collections

[Lee Hyo Sun] Matryoshka

The media animation work [Matryoshka] is an animation work of the painting work [Matryoshka], and tells a story that offers comfort by looking into the heart of someone with inner pain. The inner pain may remain even if you open it and hug it, like a matryoshka, a traditional Russian wooden doll. In order to listen to the story of a child who has been hiding while carrying his wounds, the work depicts someone opening a lid that the child cannot open on his own, and the child carefully gathering courage to tell his story.


[Will`s Planet] The Eminently Lovely Flower 02

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.
 
https://www.instagram.com/na_hyosun_ida/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYpi2uHUmr4


[Lee Hyo Sun] 

Introducing “K-POP All Star 2.0”, Orangehare’s second all-star lineup of S. Korea’s most prominent 7 young artists-DONGZADONGHWI, Miné.K, Lee Hyo Sun, Mothfly, Molly, Johnny Boy, Will`s Planet- making waves today. In this era of instantaneous communication and blurred boundaries between collectors, consumers, and artists, anyone can now lead in this realm of constant change. Guided by playful characters and vibrant colors, where icons reign supreme and creativity is the currency, these Korean creators express themselves by any means necessary. Yet, amidst all the sights and sounds, we can still glimpse the fractured self—a "Self-portrait of the artist as an avatar" unfolding in web3, particularly by the creators in this lineup. Within this borderless universe, all eight artists in OrangeHare’s "K-POP All Star 2.0" NFT collection shape their own identities, claiming movies and cartoons not by country, but by personal connection. Through screens, canvas, and keyboards, they craft new personal mythologies, ushering in the global phenomenon of “K-POP All Star 2.0”



K-POP All Star X OrangeHare

“The Eminently lovely flower is growing well and getting ready to bloom.”
 This is the second work in the three-part ‘The Eminently Lovely Flower’ series. In the middle of the night, unknown animals are hunting Wills in the clouds, and mushroom jellyfish are flying freely. Gaia's blessed seeds grow quickly and are ready to bloom in the morning.


[DONGZADONGHWI] Lily of the valley

Hwang Seokmin AKA 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.
 
https://www.instagram.com/molly.artwork


Molly

This work is a digital version of the 'Face Series,' which is as an original painting drawn in 2024, and vividly expresses the positive pandemic that the artist wants to express through animation.

Hearts derived from the character's cute and humorous face are fired around to express this spread of love.


[Johnny Boy] Love Pandemic 2024

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.
 
 
https://dongzadonghwi.art/
https://www.instagram.com/dongzadonghwi/
https://twitter.com/dongzadonghwi


[DONGZADONGHWI]

Introducing “K-Pop All Star 2.0”, Orangehare’s second all-star lineup of S. Korea’s most prominent young artists making waves today. In this era of instantaneous communication and blurred boundaries between collectors, consumers, and artists, anyone can now lead in this realm of constant change. Guided by playful characters and vibrant colors, where icons reign supreme and creativity is the currency, these Korean creators express themselves by any means necessary. Yet, amidst all the sights and sounds, we can still glimpse the fractured self—a "Self-portrait of the artist as an avatar" unfolding in web3, particularly by the creators in this lineup. Within this borderless universe, all eight artists in OrangeHare’s "K.Pop.2" NFT collection shape their own identities, claiming movies and cartoons not by country, but by personal connection. Through screens, canvas, and keyboards, they craft new personal mythologies, ushering in the global phenomenon of “K-Pop All Star 2.0"



K-POP All Star 2.0

Etherscan

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.”

[Miné.K]

DONGZADONGHWI, Miné.K,                                    Lee Hyo Sun, Mothfly, Molly,                                  Johnny Boy, Will`s Planet

As a graphic designer and an illustrator, the work of Park Byungmin aka Mothfly is instilled with an undercurrent of chaotic potential “made chill.” By fusing his love for the humor of American cartoons such as South Park and the Simpsons with contemporary Korean culture, Mothfly lets his mind roam when he creates, and often covers some pretty bizarre expanses in the process. Through each disparate character or situation he creates, no matter how outlandish, a portrait of the artist can be revealed, an artist who grew up in Garibong-dong in Seoul sipping on cheap Jangsu Makgeolli liquor and doing graffiti. A former “cryptocoin addict,” Mothfly is a natural taker to the Web3 community and is passionate about creating works that can move people on a deep emotional level across borders, even when there's no explicit message or call to action behind the work. And with new experiments in Web3, he's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of art and storytelling.
 
www.mothfly.kr
www.instagram.com/mothfly_studio
www.twitter.com/mothfly_studio



[Mothfly]

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.
 
https://willsplanet.wixsite.com/willsplanet
https://www.instagram.com/wills_planet/
https://www.youtube.com/@willsplanet


[Will`s Planet]

[Molly] Hello, world!

This work is a reinterpretation of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 and tells the story of the waiting of the four seasons. Additionally, the title of the work, <Lily of the Valley>, is the English name for the flower seen at the bottom of the work. The flower's meaning is purity, happiness found again, and happiness without fail, and was intended to symbolize a precious and heartbreaking love. It's a story about pure love during the four seasons.
 
This work was performed at the Seoul Arts Center in collaboration with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra in 2023. At the time, Brahms' music was used in the collaboration work with the orchestra, but it was re-produced as an NFT work and recording music with the partner musician Woongie-D.
