Damo says dreams are a major inspiration for them. In particular, that moment, when weird things appear “in an instant”, only to be quickly accepted by the dreamer under the strange logic of REM. It’s not as easy to get used to the strange happenings taking place in Damo’s work with quite the same speed – for all the best reasons. The Seoul-based artist is ripping up the rule book on narrative, on texture, the 3D art scene, character design, gravity – in short, the rules of normality that might make your work a little more commercial, a little less weird, and a whole lot less fun.
Damo creates all of her work, comprising both illustration and animation, using 3D programs (they are a must for fans of Yonk). Yet, as a staunch Tim Burton and Coraline fan, the artist has managed to introduce a naive, stop motion aesthetic into the medium – to occasionally harrowing results. For example, you can often see the echo of thumbed clay textures in the faces of their characters and quaint landscapes, but they mostly look more squished than organic, showing up as melting facial features or curdling buildings.
On the note of characters, let’s take a tour through some of Damo’s friendly subjects. A typical Damo animation will likely take you to a suspiciously idyllic blue-skied, grassy knoll where you can meet the likes of: a human with sinewy skin-covered spider legs and a green middle part; a smiling cat that’s been pressed flat; a chair/human; a weeping sunflower; and a distressed pet rock.