David Heo – 2000 (Lugia)

About David Heo

Using an idiosyncratic blend of crayon, colored pencil, oil stick, acrylic spray, cut-paper collage, and gouache, David Heo creates mixed-media artworks that combine anachronistic motifs with representations of contemporary life. A visual storyteller, Heo makes images based on his personal experiences and reimagines motifs from folktales and mythology as contemporary scenes, often featuring animals such as horses, tigers, and dogs. His works on paper, such as Distance (2020), draw inspiration from Greek vases and the Korean celadon vases which decorated his childhood home. The exteriors of Heo’s vases, however, are decorated with scenes from modern life. Heo holds a BFA and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; he also honed his drawing skills as an apprentice at a tattoo parlor. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States and has collaborated with brands such as Vans and the Chicago Bulls.