Meet JoJo Lee

Today we’d like to introduce you to JoJo Lee.

Hi JoJo, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Thank you for having me! Growing up, I was always known as the art kid among my classmates. I loved drawing and would spend the next two decades pursuing a life centered around the need to create and innovate.

I’d been working professionally as a UI/UX designer for 3 years by the time COVID hit. Long story short, I got laid off from my job in Boston, moved back home to California, and began to illustrate on the side while applying to jobs. Up until that point I hadn’t drawn consistently in years.

Then, in 2022, I began experimenting with woodcut paintings after coming across Seattle-based artist Stevie Shao’s work. My illustration style is bold and colorful in nature, and so I thought it’d translate well onto these larger die-cut wood canvases. I bought a budget-friendly scroll saw and a panel of medium-density fiberboard from Home Depot the next day and tried cutting out a cat with my limited woodworking skills. It turned out extremely disfigured, with the rippled edges ruining the design’s original symmetry and the bright colors clashing. But I had so much fun making it that I knew I absolutely needed to keep working in this medium.

Since then, I’ve been designing and producing original woodcut paintings of all shapes and sizes. I began to upload my process videos on Instagram and TikTok, and people seemed to really like them. As an artist who’s only worked in 2D illustration, being able to manipulate our perception of space and dimension with a physical medium has unlocked so many new ways to bring my ideas to life.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like many other creatives, I still deal with imposter syndrome on a regular basis. I tend to have tunnel vision to the point where I’m so focused on the trivial details that I don’t acknowledge all the progress that’s already been made. Back in college, there was a period of time where I just stopped illustrating altogether because I would get so anxious before starting a sketch. I still get that feeling sometimes if, for example, a character design isn’t turning out the way I’d envisioned in my head. But in those moments, I just keep repeating to myself to trust the process, and so far, it’s worked pretty well.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a digital-illustrator-turned-semi-woodworker. I prepare a digital sketch on my iPad, blow it up, cut out its silhouette with wood with either a saw or laser cutter, then paint it by hand. While the process itself is pretty straightforward, there is an undeniable shift in the way the same design now commands its presence in the room. And I think people recognize the power of that transformation from digital to material, and find the process itself satisfying to watch, which is mainly how I was able to grow a following on social media.

What matters most to you?
Being able to have autonomy is the most important thing to me as an artist. I’m not a very outspoken or talkative person, and I think that’s because it’s hard for me to convey my thoughts effectively into words. But when I make art, I’m able to take what’s in my head and manifest it more or less exactly how I want it to be represented into the real world. So, not having the freedom to create in a certain way feels as though the words I’m speaking are being misconstrued.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whereisjooj.com/
• Instagram: @whereisjooj