First the basic introduction – can you tell us who are you, what are you doing, where are you coming from?
My name is Mr.Likey, I am an artist, I was born in Hong Kong and moved to the U.S. when I was a child, I graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Did it take long to find your own style/level you were comfortable on?
Not really, when you put all the elements you love into your art, it will become your style automatically.
What inspires you or your work? What influences you as an artist?
Artist such as Andy Warhol and Takashi Murakami definitely inspires me the most as an artist (and for my work too).
You create brilliant pop culture mash-ups, I love especially the Care Bear Homer – How do you work and approach your subject?
I guess I really like Homer Simpsons since I did a lot of mash-ups about him, I also have a character called Homie, which is the combination of Homer and Mickey Mouse, I don’t have a specific way to approach my work, it just happens.
How easy or hard is it to finish your works? Do you ever get burnt out on a piece, and what do you do to keep working and being productive?
Once I have an idea which I feel excited with, the rest is easy, and I hardly get burnt out on a piece. Coffee and Hip Hop music keep myself working and being productive.
What are you trying to communicate with your art? What do you wish that viewers experience through your art?
For younger viewers, I just hope they are having a good time watching my art, and for the adult viewers, I hope they get a deeper meaning behind my art.
You had a solo exhibition titled ”Not now but right now” in Hong Kong in May 2019, was it a big struggle to put that big show together? How the audience took it? What kind of feedback you have received?
Yes, especially I did the whole exhibition with my wife and my friends, I won’t call it a big struggle but it definitely was a lot of work. The feedback from the exhibition was way better than I was hoping for, I met a lot of people during the exhibition and got a lot of opportunities afterward.
Do you observe your development as an artist or in technical execution?
I do, I try to improve myself every day, either technically and mentally.
Describe your dream project?
A dream project for me would be able to work with a highly professional team, with huge artwork such as paintings and sculptures.
If you should describe your art with one word, what would it be?
Fun.
Mr.Likey around the internet:
Instagram: Instagram.com/mr.likey
