If you've seen cult Korean designer Juun.J’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection you've probably noticed the unusual and haunting artwork printed on his oversized T-shirts. Created by Russian artist Oleg Dou, the "Child" T-shirts depict ghostly pale children with animal characteristics like horns and large ears that sprout out from the tops of their heads. The shirts are yet another bold addition to Juun.J’s series of artist collaborations, which has featured illustrator Greg Simkins and sign painting artist Josh Luke.
Oleg’s work straddles the line between reality and fantasy, mixing unconventional faces, bizarre textures, and real world objects. The results are captivating and a little bit creepy. Are they photographs or paintings? I wondered upon first look. According to Oleg, the answer is a bit of both. The artist has been painting since he was a child and manipulating faces since he obtained an early version of Photoshop as a teenager. We chatted about his photorealistic work, growing up in Russia, and how he almost became an economist.
Shop Juun.J HERE | Photos courtesy of Oleg Dou
Shannan Elinor Smith: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Oleg Dou: I was born in Moscow in the later Soviet Union era. My family was not rich or poor, actually all people had the same level of life. My mother used to be an artist (now she is a costume designer for movies) and my father is a tailor. I spent a lot of time at my mother’s studio and around her group of artist friends. So I learned about being an artist early in my childhood. I was always dreaming of becoming an artist, but it was not possible to choose it as a profession and go to a special art school. We had very hard times in the 90s; the economy was very bad. So I had to choose a profession that I could make "money" doing. Because of that, I now have a master's in economics. Art was my hobby until my last years of university, then suddenly I got a proposal from a gallery in Paris to work with them. I haven’t worked a single day as an economist.
I read that one of your first memories was being electrocuted when you were two years old. How do you think that memory has affected your artwork?
I want to be honest with you, I'm not sure it affected my artwork in any way. I think it's just a funny detail I've shared with a lot of people. But probably knowing that fact could help you understand me as an artist.
Can you walk me through the process of making one of your artworks?
Everything starts as an idea for a project. I do different sketches and a kind of mood board. Then I find models and make photos at the studio. The last step is retouching on the computer. Each image takes a few weeks to produce.
How did you come up with this unusual technique and style?
It’s a funny story. I bought my first camera in 2005. I didn't have any exact ideas about photography. I mean, I was trying everything from still life and landscapes to portraits. My friends became my first models. One of the girls around me had a very interesting face, like a face in a Renaissance painting. I was always interested in that kind of image and I've had a passion for the human face as long as I can remember. So I decided to do something like these old paintings. But
Oleg’s work straddles the line between reality and fantasy, mixing unconventional faces, bizarre textures, and real world objects. The results are captivating and a little bit creepy. Are they photographs or paintings? I wondered upon first look. According to Oleg, the answer is a bit of both. The artist has been painting since he was a child and manipulating faces since he obtained an early version of Photoshop as a teenager. We chatted about his photorealistic work, growing up in Russia, and how he almost became an economist.
Shop Juun.J HERE | Photos courtesy of Oleg Dou
Shannan Elinor Smith: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Oleg Dou: I was born in Moscow in the later Soviet Union era. My family was not rich or poor, actually all people had the same level of life. My mother used to be an artist (now she is a costume designer for movies) and my father is a tailor. I spent a lot of time at my mother’s studio and around her group of artist friends. So I learned about being an artist early in my childhood. I was always dreaming of becoming an artist, but it was not possible to choose it as a profession and go to a special art school. We had very hard times in the 90s; the economy was very bad. So I had to choose a profession that I could make "money" doing. Because of that, I now have a master's in economics. Art was my hobby until my last years of university, then suddenly I got a proposal from a gallery in Paris to work with them. I haven’t worked a single day as an economist.
I read that one of your first memories was being electrocuted when you were two years old. How do you think that memory has affected your artwork?
I want to be honest with you, I'm not sure it affected my artwork in any way. I think it's just a funny detail I've shared with a lot of people. But probably knowing that fact could help you understand me as an artist.
Can you walk me through the process of making one of your artworks?
Everything starts as an idea for a project. I do different sketches and a kind of mood board. Then I find models and make photos at the studio. The last step is retouching on the computer. Each image takes a few weeks to produce.
How did you come up with this unusual technique and style?
It’s a funny story. I bought my first camera in 2005. I didn't have any exact ideas about photography. I mean, I was trying everything from still life and landscapes to portraits. My friends became my first models. One of the girls around me had a very interesting face, like a face in a Renaissance painting. I was always interested in that kind of image and I've had a passion for the human face as long as I can remember. So I decided to do something like these old paintings. But