Imagine a realm where the laws of reality dissolve into intriguing forms and endless possibilities. This is the world that Gudam Hwang (11) builds with his art.

Hwang’s artistic journey began at the age of around three or four, when he quickly discovered an affinity for drawing. 

“It just started to distract me from all the boredom,” Hwang said. “I happened to have [fun with it], so I just continued drawing for more than ten years.”

At school, Hwang currently takes Drawing & Design. He works with traditional mediums such as pencil, but also does digital art. Through his pieces, he conveys the theme of unlimited imagination, emphasizing that “you can do whatever you want to do” with art.

Such ideas of boundless potential are the reason much of Hwang’s work revolves around science fiction.

“[Sci-fi] doesn’t have to be limited by the reality,” Hwang said. “You don’t have to be limited by technologies that you have or whatever tools you have … you can create non-human things. You really don’t have to be doing actual anatomy.”

This capacity for creativity is also Hwang’s favorite part about art. Hwang practices art almost everyday, often drawing “whatever comes to mind first.”

“Sometimes I’m way too tired from doing my homework, so I just want to distract myself from … school stuff,” Hwang said. “I draw in the middle of class if I have time. Sometimes, the teacher, especially my art teacher, encourages me to draw.”

The artistic process is not without its challenges, and Hwang is working on skills such as “drawing actual people.”

“I sometimes scrap hundreds of drawings at once,” Hwang said. “… There’s no other thing to do other than keep trying, [to] continuously draw every single time until I get a satisfactory result.”

Hwang sees art “more as a hobby,” but he “possibly, at the very slimmest chance,” could consider it as a professional pursuit. Regardless, he has spent most of his whole life constructing worlds on pages and canvases. 

“I feel like it’s my identity at this point,” Hwang said. “There’s no other real talent… It’s just drawing. That’s what makes me.”