Fluffy, squishy, and chubby animals populate the fantastic world of Goodmorningtown, the imaginary world Seoul-based tattoo artist GOODMORNING created for his characters, where everything that’s cute and fun in the world finally finds a cozy, kind, sweet home. GOODMORNING infuses his work with incredible originality, inventiveness and a great sense of humor. His art is like a big bear hug to the world we live in, bringing warmth, joy and kindness to what we see and experience in everyday life.

When I first encountered your work, I was instantly amused by the way you interpret photographic references. I love the sense of humor in these, and your ability to transform a picture’s details and mood into something completely different that, at the same time, remains faithful to the original image, and further enhances its individuality. How have you developed your approach to these works?

I believe that my job as a tattoo artist is to satisfy the customers' needs as much as possible, so I try to be very original in that sense. However, I try to differentiate my designs from others by overwhelming them with cuteness. The photos I choose for these types of shots are not from the customers but I find the similar references myself. In this process I try to put my sense of humor.

I was wondering about your background in relation to the specificity of your images. Has creativity always been part of your life?

My parents were always supportive so I was able to grow and show my creativity since I was young. I loved drawing cartoons especially and it got kind of popular online. When I graduated from high school, I decided not to go to college because of the shallowness and superficiality of the Korean art school admission system. You can get into art schools without being creative as long as you draw perfectly like a robot. Instead of going to college, I focused on being more intuitive and imaginative.

Besides being the name of your Instagram account, Goodmorningtown is the place that your characters inhabit. What were the earliest thoughts that prompted you to devise such an imaginary world, to create a space in which your creations could belong?

Goodmorningtown is the world I see everyday. I try to look at every thing cute and fun and thought that these cute things needed a home so that's how goodmorningtown came to begin.

There’s something inherently irresistible about cuteness. It’s a feeling that your work elicits so well. Going back to our world – which things do you find cute or soothing in life?

I love chubby animals for many reasons: they are more squishy and fluffier and have overflowing cheeks. Also I can relate to them so much since I am fat too.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
Sometimes, I'm a brown bear but other times I'm a cat. The reason being, when I clean my house, I see my hair inundating the floor. (I am a hairy person).