Collaboration

Reality Through
¡®Fake Art¡¯

Graffiti Artist Sambypen¡¯s Collaborations
Look at the Everyday in a New Way

Since his first exhibit in 2015, Sambypen has won praise for what he calls ¡°fake art.¡± Unlike fine art, which can be difficult for non-specialists to appreciate, ¡°fake art¡± is immediately fun for everyone with its simple imagery and clear messaging. ¡°I want people to freely appreciate my work from their own perspective without the standards we¡¯re taught about what¡¯s right regarding art,¡± he says. ¡°My priority is to give people an experience that broadens their vision―ah, there¡¯s this kind of work, too―rather than have them work to find deep meaning in my pieces.¡±

Early on, he gained particular attention for his often edgy parody images of the iconic Bibendum, or Michelin Man, the mascot of the Michelin tire company, with a BIC head. His subject matter, however, comes from a wide range of cartoons (including South Park),

comic books, video games, films, corporate iconography and even classical art.

Having spent much of his life overseas, particularly in Poland and later in New York to attend the Parsons School of Design, Sambypen¡¯s work has been described as a ¡°reflection of himself―a clash of cultures, ideals, and identities.¡± Unsurprisingly, therefore, his creations often explore issues of identity, particularly in a chaotic, highly commercialized world.

Working with Top Brands

Sambypen is especially popular with young art goers, in particular millennials and Generation Z, something he attributes to the sense of fun and lightness in his work. He says, ¡°It seems what particularly appeals to them is how things my generation and younger appear in work outside existing methods.¡±

Sambypen¡¯s collaborations with some of the world¡¯s trendiest brands has helped his appeal to younger art lovers. ¡°When I collaborate with companies and brands, the most important thing I consider is setting the initial point as much as possible to myself, the artist,¡± he explains. ¡°Ultimately, they¡¯re not personal works, so you have to compromise to some extent, but if you think ahead of time how far you¡¯re willing to go and meet with the other side, that¡¯s when the collaboration begins.¡±

With luxury fashion brand MCM, he helped create a very playfully subversive line of 1990s-inspired street fashion, bags and backpacks, slippers and even an AirPod case, based on the theme, ¡°Media Creates Madness.¡± Taking characters from the brand¡¯s MCM Zoo, the artist created animated characters ¡°exposed to a non-stop barrage of content―discovering both fears and desires along the way.¡± In so doing, he examines the way media shapes identity in the digital age.

Rapper Jay Park¡¯s new soju brand Won Soju worked with Sambypen and fellow artists Nammoo and Rowdee to create three limited edition packages to mark the opening of its pop-up store in Busan this year, itself a collaboration with convenience store chain GS25.

In particular, he recalls his collaborations with Nike. ¡°I¡¯ve liked the Nike brand since I was young,¡± he says. ¡°So over the last few years, I¡¯ve been doing small works with them, including exhibits, customizing and graphic work. One of my biggest goals is to have a shoe with my name and Nike attached to it, so I want to keep a good relationship with them going to bring this dream to fruition.¡±

Going forward, Sambypen plans to keep plugging away at his work. ¡°I¡¯m currently planning solo exhibits and art fairs for this year, and I think I¡¯ll be doing things overseas and begin producing figurines in earnest,¡± he says. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my future holds, but I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll keep on going with my work.¡±