By Honorary Reporters Gabriela Pimenta and Ana Caroline Bergamaschi Farias from Brazil
Photos = Gabriela Pimenta and Ana Caroline Bergamaschi Farias

To mark Korea's National Liberation Day on Aug. 15 and launch the new exhibition season, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Brazil invited pixel artist Joo Jae-bum to create exclusive works representing cultural exchange between Korea and Brazil. One of them, "Somewhere between Seoul and Sao Paulo," was prominently displayed at the FIESP Cultural Center in the Brazilian city.

The following are excerpts from an Aug. 30 face-to-face interview with the artist, who visited Brazil to attend a KCC event from Aug. 27-28 in Bom Retiro, a Sao Paulo neighborhood where the country's biggest Koreatown is located.

Gabriela Pimenta, Joo Jae-bum and Ana Caroline Bergamaschi Farias pose for a photo on Aug. 30.

Introduce yourself and how you got into art.
I am pixel artist Joo Jae-bum. I have a degree in animation and worked for a long time in this sector. But animation was difficult, time consuming and unrecognized and teamwork meant difficulty in finding my own identity, though I enjoyed it.  

At the time, I had a blog on subjects and needed a profile picture, and this was when I decided to draw pixel art. I looked at a blank Photoshop grid and painted it square by square. From there, I started drawing my friends and this was a learning experience as I discovered more about myself by talking to other people than self-reflecting. 

I received positive feedback for my works on Facebook and other social media, and this motivated me to pursue pixel art.

Joo Jaebum has a work on a wall in Sao Paulo. (Aug. 27)

How were you invited to make works to mark bilateral cultural exchange? 

The person who contacted me from the KCC was a fan. It was luck again. As I use a lot of colors in my work, the person who invited me thought that my art fit Brazilian culture, which also uses a lot of colors. 

Explain the ideas behind your works "Somewhere between Seoul and Sao Paulo" and "Multi-cultural Village."
Seoul and Sao Paulo are totally opposite, so like a retro game, I imagined if the two cities had a common ground where they could meet. A retro style of play has the characters walk side by side, and I thought putting that into my work would be nice. I wanted to create a universe with famous buildings in both cities under the concept of "One Day"  

For "Multi-cultural Village," I thought of adventure games that usually have a lot of islands, so I imagined Bom Retiro as an island. I thought it would be fun for people to look at the project and try to locate the streets of Bom Retiro as a "mini map."

Joo Jae-bum's work "Somewhere between Seoul and Sao Paulo" is displayed on Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo on Aug. 15.

What do you want to do in Brazil?

I know of Brazilian culture through soccer. Koreans use the term "samba soccer" to refer to Brazilian soccer. My friends asked me if I would learn that after hearing that I was going to Brazil. I love the sport so I want to play in Brazil. But above all, I'm just happy to be here. People here seem more relaxed than in Korea.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists and what do you think of cultural exchange between Brazil and Korea?
First, do what you love, but finding what that is difficult. I have a lot of ideas of what I can do and enjoy but when it becomes a job, it can be totally different. Instead of thinking about being successful, start small by doing what you love.  

On cultural exchange, I heard that many people abroad like Korean culture but never really felt it. I certainly feel it in Brazil, and I feel grateful and motivated to work harder. Hallyu dramas and music are famous in the world but what I do is draw. Instead of forcing it, if I keep pushing myself and working hard, I think my art will get more known. I'm also inspired when talking to people who like Korean culture.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.