JI SUB JEONG

 JI SUB JEONG 정지섭 is an award-winning Korean-Canadian illustrator and designer with expertise in creating viral content for digital media. He has received multiple awards, including International Motion Art Awards (IMAA4, IMAA6) and Best Animated Short (San Diego's Asian Film Festival). He is currently enjoying his time in sunny San Francisco with his partner and tuxedo cat named Kenze.

Hi Ji Sub! Thanks for joining me at Mint Tea. To begin, what’s your favorite tea? If you don’t drink tea, what kind of coffee or drinks do you enjoy the most?

I'm honestly not a really well versed tea consumer. I would say anything that contains a hearty amount of caffeine to keep me moving throughout the day would be my favorite type of tea. I usually start my day with home-brewed cold brew to get me energized, so I'm more of a coffee person than a tea person.

Could you tell me about your background and your practice?

I was born and raised in South Korea, and I moved to Vancouver, BC in 2004. I'm Korean Canadian, and as a 1.5 generation Canadian, I would like to say that a lot of my worldview and beliefs have been really shaped through the lens of the immigration experience, the stuff that we like to talk about a lot nowadays. I ended up in Providence, Rhode Island to study illustration at Rhode Island School of Design in 2011, and moved right after graduation to New York and worked in the media industry for about four years. A lot of my current practices right now really stemmed from my time working in media and creating timely and relevant content to the public.

What projects are you working on right now?

I am exploring Asian American identity through content creation. A lot of my current work revolves around researching, writing, designing bite size graphics, and editing short videos. I've never been really good at sticking with one specific medium, because I just want to do everything. Online content creation really allows me to explore freely without any sort of inhibition, and I really enjoy that aspect of it.

What kind of media do you work with for that content?

You know, I'm kind of all over the place. I think, right now, specifically for social media, a lot of my work is really text based – by that I mean that I'll think about a statement or some sort of a motto that I want to talk about in the captions. A lot of  it is really in the tech space. But sometimes I want to make sure that I'm illustrating a little bit because I come from the illustration background. But I think a lot of the time, it's mostly writing that I do the most, out of everything.

I am the most familiar with your digital illustrations. What inspires your style and colors?

I've always really liked edgy and popping colors, and anything that has to do with in your face approaches. I don't think it really shows up in my general work that I make nowadays, but I love street art and pop art. Folks like Keith Haring used to be my hero, same as Andy Warhol – but a little less nowadays. But I always really liked how about street art and pop art just captivate and grab attention as quickly as possible. It's such a very immediate art form that communicates super clearly, and I really liked that out of all the art forms that I've encountered. So I would say street art and pop art are usually the ones that I'm most inspired by when I'm picking any sort of artwork.

As a fellow Korean-Canadian living in the United States, I am always thankful for and impressed by your eloquent activism on behalf of our community. Can you talk about the relationship between your digital practice and your activist work?

I always say this, but I really want to make sure that I say that I don't call myself an activist, because I don't think I deserve the same sort of recognition as people who are really on the ground and making palpable contributions to our community. You know, I want to make sure that we give roses to people who are actually doing really important work out there by organizing and uplifting our community, and because of that, I think I like to label myself more as a creator than any other labels. I guess, in terms of the relationship between my practice and the quote-unquote “activist” work that I do, I think that I've always been really interested in making some sort of a positive social impact with my visual practice, ever since I've been making things. I've never been really interested in just creating illustrations, although for folks who just like to draw and illustrate, I don't think there's anything wrong with that – I think it's just a different mentality and approach to how you work.

I've really felt, passionate all throughout my life about creating art that felt meaningful, a piece of art that contains some sort of a message, a set of beliefs that I held. Specifically, the stuff that I make right now, the reason why I made them is because I really didn't see a lot of people, you know, speaking enough about Asian American issues, and I just naturally gravitated towards using my visual practice to talk about issues that I felt deeply passionate about, because at the end of the day, illustration, or any sort of visual practice, is really about communicating an idea. So, this is where I think I started tying more of my “speaking out” to what I make. I think the amazing thing about social media specifically, which is the place where I share most of my work nowadays, is that you can really reach a lot of people that you might not ever had the chance to reach, and share your ideas and talent and beliefs. I find that to be extremely exciting and exhilarating, because it just opens up a lot of possibilities for new communication, and new acquaintances and so forth. I find social media to be a very engaging space in that way.

How do you think your background in digital illustration and visual communication helps amplify your message on online platforms?

I think, specifically thinking about my work experience, working in a media landscape really helped me understand how people consume content. In terms of being eloquent on social media, or however you want to put it, at the end of the day, it's a lot of observing, and then continuing to practice how you deliver your message across different places. I think the key thing that I learned while I was working at HuffPost was that messages can be delivered in very different ways across different platforms. But the core of it is, you have to have a very clear and concise messaging, otherwise people are just gonna say, “Oh, okay, they're saying something, but I'm not exactly sure what the grain of truth is in there,” and they'll quickly move on. Also, the nature of social media is, there is so much happening all the time, there's so much content that you're being fed, and the effectiveness of being loud and boisterous, in my opinion, is to be able to grab someone's attention. Even if it's for a couple seconds, for them to take a look, see what I'm trying to say, and if they feel like, “Oh, this is something that I'm interested in,” then they'll consume the whole content instead of just moving on. These are definitely some things that I learned a lot through trial and error, but also just the fact that I got to work in the industry and had time to navigate on social media platforms, I think is really important to my work.

When you create your images what is the first thing that you think about? Subject matter? Message? Colors? Compositions?

I think I'm all about the subject matter. Maybe it’s just because I'm kind of a messy person sometimes, when I'm making art, but I've never been a good artist in terms of making sure that my compositions were tight, or whether I was thinking about the color palettes that I was supposed to use, or whatever else. But the thing that I was always really interested in focusing on was the subject matter and the message, because at the end of the day, I think the most important part of any sort of art creation is really about your message and how you deliver that, and what your subject matter is. If you don't have a topic, and if you don't have anything to talk about, when you make something, does it matter? I think subject matter really is the most important part of making art.

How do you decide on the subject matter?

On a daily basis, I have a lot of thoughts just crossing my mind at any point in time. So I try to jot them down inside my notebooks, or on my phone or something, and from there, I'll try to think a little bit more deeply about things and do some research, if I need to. Also, because my work is very social media heavy right now, a part of it is also people saying something, and that would trigger me to want to talk about something else that I might not have wanted to talk about. So there's a bit of a back and forth in terms of me thinking about ideas that are just floating in my head, and then also me getting inspired from other people who are engaging with my content.

What do you think is the role of social media in your art?

Yeah, it has everything to do with my current art practice. Like I touched on briefly, the role of social media for me is, I get to connect with people who I might not have had the chance to do so. It just gives me so much accessibility to be able to be more vocal and be more open about what I think and what I feel. So in terms of that, it really has everything to do with what I do right now. And I think there are a large number of people who are very interested in talking about Asian American issues, but they might not necessarily have the chance to do so, because they might be scared about their job saying something if they speak out online, or there are certain restrictions or certain I guess fear that they hold, because they're in a certain environment. I feel like my work on social media is at least helping them to navigate their own feelings that they might not have necessarily tried to really think about, for whatever reason. In terms of that, social media really does everything for my work that I'm trying to do right now.

Do you think social media expands or encloses your community?

I think it does both. So, in one way, it's giving you this unlimited access to different ideas and perspectives that you might not otherwise have, if you're just enclosed in your own physical friend group. But, also the nature of social media, at the end of the day, generally we're following pretty like-minded people with similar interests. So, unless you're going out of your way to try to follow or consume content that is completely different from what you usually like, it's really hard to break the cycle of, “these are all the ideas that are out there and everyone thinks like me,” right? So I think there's definitely that echo chamber that people like to talk about, especially on social media. But, if you feel like you're stuck in an echo chamber, I think it's really important to just kind of go out of your way to look at different content and see what other perspectives are available. So it's kind of a chicken and egg situation, I don't know?

How do you deal with the instantaneous nature of online criticism?

Yeah, I mean, the nature of my work is, some of them are very sensitive, some of it, people just don't understand because they're not from our community. You know, every time I get a criticism from a random stranger that I don't even know who they are supposed to be, it still stings, like, it's still pretty hard to receive some sort of a feedback, or some sort a comment that's supposed to be a reflection of who I am. And it can be devastating, but also, you know, apart from me not being able to control how other people perceive who I am as a person, I also try to make sure that I read through those criticisms, especially if they're valid, so that I can expand my own thought process in my mind. But I'm only one person. So I hold very specific sets of ideas, right? And I think that when those criticisms are valid, they can be really helpful for me to grow as a better person. So I try to not take it as personally, if I can.

What is your favorite font?

So, to preface everything, I'm not a graphic designer, I've just studied illustration. But, I do like Cooper Black quite a lot. You’ll probably see that being used quite a lot in my work. It just is such a friendly font, it's very round and circular, and also it just reminds me of New York bodegas and corner stores that I would usually go into. So it's just endearing all around to me. That's why I like it.

I remember that you have a series of self-portrait illustrations. What inspired you to start this series?

Generally, a lot of my personal works are created to process my feelings and thoughts. I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm self-obsessed or something, but I do a lot of introspection all the time, and that was one of the ways for me to kind of work out my thoughts and get a more solid understanding of how I'm doing, how I'm feeling. So that was the initial start of all these self-portrait illustration series. Unfortunately, I am not really making any self-portraits right now because I just don't have the time for it, but I do want to get back into making more of these again, because it just helps me feel better.

Do you create better when you’re processing anxiety, or do you create better when you’re happy or relaxed?

I think it's a little bit weird to say, but I think I need to be very angsty a lot of the time to create really good work. I don't know, I think just personally, as an individual, the majority of my life has always been about, “Okay, I don't know what the fuck’s going on?” I'm just trying to, like, figure what's happening. I tend to, I think, get a little bit more lackadaisical if I am just in a good spot. I feel like I always have to be a little bit on the edge of the seat for me to be able to create really good work. It's a it's a bit of a weird mentality, I think, but I also attribute that to me just being Korean and then living in two different countries after moving out, so.

I see that you also made a series with Pokémon. What’s your favorite Pokémon?

I think Bulbasaur is pretty cute. You know, it's like that weird plant tentacle thing coming out is kind of freaky, but weird, but cute. I mean, if I really have to think about me as a Pokemon, I'd probably be Snorlax, just lazy as heck, you know. At the end of the day, I just want to lie down somewhere. That's my main motto, “I don't want to lean in, I just want to lie down.”

How much do you think the digital programs that you use affect your work? Do you find them limiting in any way?

It's convenient to be making work digitally, because I don't have that overhead of having to pull out paper or to have a studio space for me to do any sort of work. Also, I don't know when it started, but I don't like being too messy. But I also do really miss just painting on a piece of paper with gouache. Now that I have a little bit more space, I think I would like to get back into making traditional paintings, just because it’s a little weird when you make something but you can't necessarily hold and touch and feel it. And I feel like a lot of digital work, specifically, you just don't get that tactility and the satisfaction of like, “Oh, my goodness, I could touch this thing.” And this is where I feel very limited when I'm using digital programs.

What is your favorite color?

I love neon, like any neon colors, I had a conversation with somebody recently where I said I love hot pink and they told me it wasn't an actual color, because it's just a processing error. But I feel like that's also kind of beautiful in a way, where you can have a very vibrant color being made, because there's a “processing error.” So any sort of colors that pop and are strong are the colors that I like.

Is there a new medium that you would like to try, or to work in more?

I used to do a lot of gouache paintings. I want to get back into doing that. And apart from that, I want to learn how to tattoo. Tattooing as a practice has always been very interesting to me. I'm just blown away by the fact that people would like something permanent on their skin. I mean, I have tattoos too, right? So I know what's going on, but when an artist is established in that area, the fact that you're getting an image from that specific person transferred onto your skin, I feel like that is a bigger impact slash intimacy that you could have with somebody else. I find that to be like a very interesting human connection.

How do you stay connected to your community?

Mainly through social media. Most of my friends are back in New York, but I do have a couple of artist friends out here as well right now. So we'll try to get together through dinner parties, or we'll just meet up at some sort of a restaurant or a bar or something, just to hang out and talk about art. Because frankly, I don't get to do a lot of that.

What’s your favorite tool?

I love my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. It just, it just makes it so much more easier than trying to hop onto your computer or get out your Wacom tablet or something like that. I really like the ease that the iPad brings, when it comes to I can just open up a program on the iPad and just start drawing.

What is the space where do you your work?

In terms of searching for inspiration, specifically, I do love going to flea markets and stuff like that. There is a monthly flea market that happens where you can see a lot of antiques, a lot of really cool books, so I try to go there to get some inspiration here and there. Also the internet, right, the most accessible tool that you can ever use to find any sort of inspiration and information you want. So I do a lot of research online as well.

Do you listen to anything when you work?

Yeah, I listen to podcasts. I'm a podcast fan. I usually gravitate towards listening to comedy and culture podcasts. Pretty much I'm just listening to a podcast 24/7. There's this podcast called “Asian Not Asian,” it’s a comedy podcast that is run by two Asian American comics. They talk about current events, but they also talk a lot about comedy and also the Asian American experience. The way they brand it is, Asian American experiences that no one wants to talk about, so we're talking about them. I listen to them a lot. I listen to “Asian Enough,” that's from the LA Times. It’s an interview podcast where two culture writers talk to Asian American celebrities. I also listen to “The Read,” which is a Black culture podcast, and the two hosts are queer Black folks. They also talk about current events, but anything that's more related to Black culture and Black current events. I'm all over – I have subscribed to way too many podcasts at this point, so my phone is just flooding with updates all the time.

Do you have any ritual that helps you get into the zone?

Oh, man, just a lot of coffee. Coffee in the morning, coffee in the afternoon, coffee at night. Yeah, that's basically it.

Who are your favorite practicing artists?

You know, as I've said before, I love street art and stuff like that, so I love Banksy. I love KAWS, I love Mr. Cartoon, Jeremy Fish. Folks like Bobby Hundreds, he's more of a clothing designer. Those are really bigger artists, and in terms of folks who inspire me who are more emerging artists, there are people like Jia Sung, who went to RISD with me, their work is really cool. They deal with a lot of femininity and being Asian American. Apart from that, Victo Ngai is really cool. I love her work.

What gives you the feelings of butterflies in your stomach?

Food, food makes me excited. Just good food and good company – that gives me butterflies.

jisubjeong.com | @geesubay @gochujangjiggae