We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jiahn Chung. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jiahn below.

Hi Jiahn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I began my artistic journey as a self-taught individual, without the traditional grind of art studio experiences before joining ArtCenter College of Design. The intense and rigorous culture never appealed to me, seeing it unhealthy and unsuitable for my well-being. Alongside my interest in art in high school, I explored various activities like color guard and photography However, there was a persistent fear of spreading myself too thin, a concern echoed by professionals around me.

Upon entering college, I felt significantly behind peers who had already honed their foundational skills and knowledge. I began to doubt if I had truly made the right decisions in pursuing my interests and passions before embarking on my career. Initially, art wasn’t a passion but rather a skill in which I excelled the most, leading me to enroll in ArtCenter. During my college years of learning new skills and about the industry, a genuine passion for art gradually emerged. I knew this was the path for me, even though the learning process was demanding, requiring rational sacrifices for my career.

This period was marked by difficulty and depression, yet I discovered that I couldn’t entirely abandon my other passions, contrary to my initial belief. As I progressed through my terms, investing hard work into my art and education, I found a way to integrate my diverse interests into my artistic expressions. My main project for my graduation was about color guard magical girls; color guard was one of my main passions before ArtCenter and magical girls represented my childhood. Today, I am capable of crafting compelling stories, characters, and ideas to share with the world. Despite the challenges and hardships, I wouldn’t alter my life’s trajectory. I am grateful for the experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Korean artist, raised in LA, specializing in communication through characters and psychological storytelling, with a focus on conceptual design, characters, and visual development. My passion lies in the exploration of human behavior, as it serves as a constant inspiration for my storytelling endeavors. I am always seeking to broaden my understanding of the world and absorb knowledge from various sources.

In my artistic pursuits, I often engage in emotional storytelling that taps into the intricate nuances of everyday life. With a long journey connecting back to my inner child, I strive to tell stories that resonate deeply, particularly addressing challenging moments I have experienced and have since reflected on. What brings me the greatest pride is when the audience not only senses but genuinely feels the emotions in the work I create. They connect with the characters, relate to the narrative, even to the point of crying. I firmly believe that ideas and emotions form the foundation of a successful story, whether it be simple or complex.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’ve been an integral part of my high school’s color guard for the entirety of my four years there, and I also marched with a drum corps during the summer of 2019. These experiences have been profoundly transformative, teaching valuable lessons in collaboration with diverse individuals, including those with whom I disagreed with or found challenging. I developed healthy habits, honed my diligence and work ethic, and pushed my personal limits.

Amid these accomplishments, I struggle with a skin condition known as eczema with an extreme case of sensitivity to the sun/UV light and heat. Throughout high school, my condition worsened, presenting daily challenges as both a student and teammate. Participating in the marching band, which demanded approximately 30 hours a week in the sun, proved to be extremely rigorous, maybe even seemed impossible. I’ve had to work through my condition with harsh trial and error, costing me many trips to the hospital. It often left me injected or pasted with steroids due to the state I would be in, and even the doctors didn’t know what to do besides that.

Despite the physical toll, I covered myself from head to toe and marched alongside my teammates, resolute in not burdening the team. Motivated to surpass the coaches’ standards despite my condition, I worked twice as hard, refusing to make excuses or let my “disability” impede me. It wasn’t easy. At times, I questioned how I could endure this for the rest of my life, facing dark moments lying in bed paralyzed with third-degree burns.

These challenges also affected my career as an artist. The inability to freely draw or paint outdoors, the inconvenience of protective gear, and the discouragement from glaring strangers became additional obstacles. Although my art career isn’t as physically demanding as color guard, unexpected hurdles persist, making my journey as an artist more challenging than anticipated. Even so, I refuse to use this as an excuse. I aspire to surpass expectations, just as I have in the past. My experience in color guard continues to shape and influence the work I create today.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My stories tend to be more psychological and narrative-focused, incorporating conceptual designs and research. I’ve realized that many of my characters tend to be younger kids or teens in turmoil, as I want to tell stories of times when we had trouble connecting and communicating with those around us. Because of this, I make efforts to tap back into my inner child to tell stories from my core. Through my own creations, I wish to evoke in others the depths of emotions that I have experienced and to reach others in the way that stories have impacted my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://axoloble.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axoloble/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiahn-chung-678a971b1/