Art is part of what makes us human

 January, I attended the World Art Expo 2025 at COEX, where I met David Hollier, an artist from New York. The artwork that drew me to his booth featured a typewriter along with a typography illustration. He greeted me with a bushy beard and a bright smile, and we had a lengthy conversation. Born in England, he moved to New York in his 20s and grew as an artist. We talked about his journey and how he blends calligraphy with other genres in his work.

That evening, he called to continue our conversation over a pint of beer. On the last day of the fair, we met again, and I gave him directions to Incheon Airport. Despite our 10-year age difference, we became close friends, as if we had known each other for years. I was reminded of the saying, "Good art calls to people," and felt its truth.

 

What motivated you to participate in the fair held in Korea?

As an artist I have grown from being an emerging artist, and now consider myself an established artist here in America, having many collectors buy my work and being quite well known for my style of artwork. When I was in my 20's I was very fortunate to live for a year in Hong Kong and since then have been very interested in Eastern cultures. In the past few years I have become increasingly interested in Korean culture (mainly through my love of Korean food!). I am looking to expand as an artist and emerge into the Asian art market, so when I received an invitation to do the World Art Expo in Seoul in January I jumped at the chance.

This was your first visit to Korea. What impression did you have?

I arrived at Incheon Airport very early in   the morning and as my taxi drove me to my destination I saw the sun rise over Seoul. I was very beautiful and I was immediately struck by the colors. Very different from the light I am used to in New York City. The colors reminded me of traditional Asian Art which, of course, makes sense to me. I stayed mainly in Gangnam Gu, which is very modern. It was very clean and felt very safe. Korean people are very warm, inviting and friendly. I was able to visit Insa-dong once during my stay and I loved seeing the old parts of the city. I really hope I get the opportunity to come back again and see more!

You have seen many works by Korean artists. How do you think they compare to those by New York artists?

What impressed me most about the Korean artwork I saw was the influence of traditional artistic methods. I met many young artists that had learnt very traditional methods of creating artwork and were producing amazing traditional style artwork. Even in more contemporary styles one could see they had been influenced by traditional techniques in creating their work. In New York a lot of artists have no traditional training in art and use very modern methods to create their work. I personally feel that even if your work is contemporary, it is important to understand traditional styles and methods of creating artwork.

Your work is unique in that he incorporates0 calligraphy into your visuals. What inspired you to create this type of work?

I'd been playing around creating images out of horizontal and parallel lines. Where the image was darker the lines were thicker, thus giving the object within the image its form. At one point I decided to replace the line with text, and where the image was darker the text was bigger and more dense. Where the image was lighter the text smaller and more sped out. In 2010 I was commissioned by a friend to make a portrait of her husband for his 40th birthday present.  I decided to make his image from text of his story from birth to 40 which I co-wrote with his wife, sister and friends. It was very well received and I realised the importance of the connection between the text and the image. I then began a collection of ink drawings marrying iconic texts with iconic images. I dubbed the style 'Imago Verbosa' meaning an image made of words.

What do you think art is?  What are your aspirations as an artist?
 

For me, Art is as important as the air we breathe and the food we eat. It is part of what makes us human. We need it. Today, it is mostly delivered to us in the form of movies and pop music but I am far more interested in Visual Art. I have been creating artwork since I was very young and I hope to be able to till I'm very old. I have also had many other jobs but they have always been involved with art in one way or another. Now I am very happy to say that I am able to live off creating and selling my artwork. I'm now established as an artist here in America and have a good following in Europe where I am originally from. My hope is to become a globally recognized artist and have my artwork seen in both public and private collections all around the world.

With the advent of AI, there are expected to be many changes in the art genre. Do you think AI will be helpful in your artistic work?
 

As mentioned before, I think it is very important to learn traditional methods in creating artwork. I believe that understanding how to draw helps any form of art practice. Now we are seeing the start of AI and whilst I have not really used it to create my art.   I think it can be a great tool for doing so. I am excited to see what people use it for.

David Hollier is a New York City based contemporary artist, born and raised in Wolverhampton, U.K. To date his body of work features collections ranging from private commissions to large-scale public artworks, in New York, London and throughout the world.

In his textual paintings, Hollier recreates portraits and objects using verse and prose. He invites his audience to hear his art through sturdy words - some that challenge injustice and inequality others that just hum a favorite tune. Words that transcend time and cultures.

From political icons to pop princesses, Hollier's work faithfully seeks out the place where politics and pop culture intersect. At its core his work is rigorous inquiry.

Mastering free-form, hand-drawn calligraphy, using brush strokes to visually depict a picture is central to Hollier's working method. Stylistically, Imago Verbosa (meaning an image made of words) happens on the surface, in the contrast, between dark and light. Each character is individually hand-painted using acrylics on board and canvas, or a vintage typewriter.

Hollier's artistic vocabulary spans public art and photorealism influenced by his early years as a muralist and his training in visual art. He earned his bachelor’s degree in visual art from the University of Northumbria, and studied for a master’s degree in computer imaging and animation from London Guildhall University.

Through solo and group shows/art fairs in both the United States and Europe, from New Jersey to Brussels, Hollier continues to showcase his thought-provoking paintings and prints, gaining increasing attention and a devoted following of its own.  He has gained representation with a contemporary gallery in the heart of Seoul's busiest art district Insa-dong. Art Gaga Gallery in January 2025. 
 

* Note : 33 Interview :  In Korean, the number 33 can be read as "삼삼" (sam-sam), which can also mean "refreshing and interesting."