Taewon Ahn and his Hiro

Stüssy jacket, Artist’s own top & accessories

AW: South Korea is very much a collectivist culture, where people are often told to follow the rules and strive for marks in school while in the West people have more flexibility to explore non-traditional career paths in an individualistic culture. At any point, did you feel like you had to prove to your family or friends that the creative path was the one meant for you?
TA: It was after my College Scholastic Ability Test that I attended an art academy. I was lost for a long time and took the test without thinking of making art a career. It wasn’t until I failed my test that I realised drawing was what I truly loved and my parents approved of me pursuing art. That’s when I went to the art academy to get ready for the national exam again. I never felt that I fit in as a child so switching to the art academy gave me a sense of belonging. It gave me peace and made me certain that I was meant to be among the artists. 

AW: In South Korea, men are enrolled into the army when they turn 18 years old. Can you share your experience?
TW: The military is an intense memory for me, being quick and accurate was the top priority. Being cut off from the world, I grew obsessed with elements that filled my needs for visual beauty – a nice round head, visually good physical proportions, flowers, and trees, anything I want to set my eyes on. In a crude space where beauty is not taken into account, I was immersed in nature such as the human body and plants. Every day after the working session, I made drawings of observed materials and when I was done with  my military service I had ton of drawings.

AW: Anime was a huge inspiration for you growing up, did you feel like it was an escape for you from the outside world? TW: Definitely, yes. What was going on in the animation world was more exciting than what happened in the outside world. Moreover, I didn’t enjoy activities like ball games or
online games that other boys usually liked. So, I got into watching anime and grew my imagination. 

AW: Tim Burton is a major reference for you with the art that you produce. You’ve shared that it’s his ability to illuminate the lives of the imperfect beings that attracts you. In a world driven by perfectionism, what do you love about the idea of imperfection?
TW: At the time I was fascinated by Tim Burton, I was obsessed with perfection. When I was young, appearance such as a tall height, broad shoulders, and good-looking faces were the ideals. Growing up, the bold personality that others had but I didn’t, was what I desired. These characteristics didn’t come naturally to me. The characters in Burton’s stories manage to find the small happiness in life without being perfect. Seeing how he creates and pays attention to the imperfections made me realise that it’s not important to be fixated on hitting all the marks in society. Burton no longer directly influences my art but he is an important figure in my life.

AW: You’ve recently been creating imagery and sculptures based on morphing cats, what is it about cats that intrigues you?
TA: My cat Hiro is special to me. I’ve always admired animals but my parents never allowed pets to roam freely at home. I chose to have lizards, tarantulas, and hamsters that can be kept inside a cage so Hiro is the first animal that I’ve shared a home with. Rather than thinking there’s a cat in my house, I think Hiro is there. My friend rescued a kitten crying without a mum for 10 days in an apartment parking lot, so I brought the kitten home. Due to those circumstances, Hiro is cautious about humans. When a stranger comes home, he never really comes out of his area and needs a long time to open up to the person. Of course, he is completely open to me but not always friendly.

AW: Your most recent exhibition was in Heroes at Condo London, what was the storyline that was conveyed through this collection?
TA: Before Condo London, it was all about meme images of Hiro in my collection of work, be- cause I wanted to make him a star. After the period of releasing such ambitious desires, I thought I wanted to tell the story of Hiro and me, which is a little calm and honest, in my work. As I said, Hiro is special to me as the first animal to share my home, recent exhibitions are about Hiro at home from my perspective.

AW: There’s a certain element of humour to your work, and you’ve shared that it’s come from an influence of meme culture. I feel like it’s such a breath of fresh air as art is often taken so seriously. Was it your intention to bring a light-hearted energy to the world you’re creating?
TA: Yes, I intended it to some extent! I love spending time with friends just joking around. Sometimes, being out of context and out of the blue gives life a boost. I want to continue exploring this area of art.