BREAKING BARRIERS
“I think NFTs are the first time I really felt like a renaissance of what is happening in today’s really mainstream, commodified society to where being a punk and being a rebel is finally an option again.”
Jacqueline Choe, better known by her handle Jisu, is an incredibly talented Korean-American digital artist who resides in LA. Her creativity is drawn from her past as a high school dropout and young internet star. Now, she is a leader and breakout artist in the NFT and digital art space.
Her independent work combines dark pop culture themes with sophisticated digital painting techniques and has won awards in contemporary art, such as Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s prestigious ‘Digital Category 2021’ winner. She’s also exhibited her work in physical and digital galleries, including Haven Gallery and MoCDA.
Jisu describes herself as a contemporary artist and designer, and she creates art using traditional concepts, illustrations, 3d, and a more obscure outlook than most that mesmerize fans and collectors.
She started creating art as a child, constantly drawing, and was influenced by pop culture – obsessed with Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Naruto, and Cartoon Network’s Dexter’s Lab and The Power Puff Girls. These shows fueled her passion for drawing. “Where it all really began for me as an independent artist was when I was in high school, and I got really into this competitive online video game,” she shares. “I was like 15 years old, and I don’t know what possessed me to do this, but I decided to make fan art for the first time.” After following the online video game’s community for some time, she posted some of her prints online – and it went viral. She then opened an Etsy shop.
In the summer of 2020, Jisu witnessed the surge of popularity around NFTs. At that time, Jisu had been focusing on concept art, illustration, and art direction, and decided to venture into the NFT space too. Jisu believes in the culture of the NFT world, the people, and the technology used to create the art.
Creating digital art also breaks the barriers of mainstream society. She said, “I think NFTs are the first time I really felt like a renaissance of what is happening in today’s really mainstream, commodified society to where being a punk and being a rebel is finally an option again.”
