Interview with Alex Chiu

I came across the work of California-based outstanding doodler artist, Alex Chiu some weeks ago, and I couldn’t avoid the temptation to interview him for our blog. His psychedelic yet cute drawings shape his very own unique and awesome style.

What is your background and where are you based?
I originally grew up in Irvine, CA. I’m 2nd generation Chinese-American. My parents immigrated to California from Hong Kong. I’m currently living in Torrance, CA.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
As a kid, I learned about cartooning from playing Nintendo. I used to love games like Double Dragon, Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, and Mega Man. Most of my art is derived from playing video games and watching Nickelodeon. In college, I found out about Islands Fold Publishing and was inspired by the artwork they were publishing. Islands Fold introduced me to a world of cluster drawings and stream of consciousness illustrations. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of indie comic. I’m super inspired by the works of Jim Woodring, Ron Rege Jr., and Theo Ellsworth.

How did you develope/discover your personal style?
My personal style came out of years and years of drawing. For a long time, I copied images and characters out of newspaper comic strips, video game instructional booklets, CD artwork, and illustrated encyclopedias. In high school I kept a sketchbook where I created by own characters. I also created my own stylistic versions of Ninja Turtle and Dragon Ball Z characters. Over the years I’ve created by own visual vocabulary and can draw just about anything in my own style. I would say that my personal style is a cross between Jim Davis, Walt Disney, and Shigeru Miyamoto.

What’s the kind of artistic projects that you enjoy most?
I enjoy creating large scale paintings and huge installations. I would eventually love to paint massive murals, decorate music festivals, and create animations meant for projection. I love when artwork is overwhelming and larger than life.

Please describe your work using 3 words.
Balls of fun.

Discover more Alex’s work over at his website: http://alexdoodles.com/