Artist Tom Yoo is renowned for his unique blend of art and design, particularly in the realm of sneaker culture. With a background in finance and business, Tom transitioned into the art world, gaining prominence through his intricate Lego sculptures, especially his meticulously crafted renditions of iconic Air Jordan sneakers. These pieces, characterized by their attention to detail and creative use of Lego bricks, have captivated both art enthusiasts and sneaker aficionados.<\/p>\n
Tom\u2019s journey as an artist is marked by a constant evolution. His work extends beyond physical sculptures, venturing into the realms of digital art, where he explores new dimensions of creativity and important themes, such as Asian-American representation. Tom\u2019s dedication to his craft and his ability to merge his passion for design with a keen business acumen make him a standout figure in the contemporary art scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Brady Walker: Can you describe the Chie project for anyone in our audience who might be unfamiliar with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Tom Yoo: The first few chapters introduce the character of Chie as a young girl, inspired by Michael Jordan to become an NBA basketball player herself. Chapter Four is special because it\u2019s the first time we see the adult version of Chie, complete with a full jersey. We worked a lot on her adult form\u2019s visuals to make sure it looked right. This chapter provides the first glimpse of her as an adult, venturing into the world. Her jersey, modeled after the Bulls jersey, says \u201cGirls 23.\u201d On the back, in the NFTs, she covers Jordan\u2019s name with masking tape and writes her own name over it. But yeah, this chapter is special to me because it\u2019s the first time we really see her as an adult, highlighting both the challenges and successes she will face.<\/p>\n BW: It\u2019s beautiful. I want to take a step backward into your past to talk about your career. You were at Lehman Brothers, then opened a boutique burger joint with three locations in Southern California. After the burger business folded, there was a moment when you wanted to be a screenwriter. Is Chie your backdoor into screenwriting?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: That\u2019s an interesting question. I\u2019ve always felt storytelling was a strength of mine. After the businesses failed and I was in a dark place, trying to figure out my way and support my new family, I used writing as an outlet while working at the store for long hours. But I realized I\u2019m not a good writer. I think visually and translate my vision into paintings or pictures, which I feel more closely connected to. When I stumbled upon Lego art, it resonated with me more. So, to your question, storytelling is still a strong part of me. As I\u2019ve ventured down the path of an artist, I\u2019ve realized that the best way for me to bring my stories to the world is through visual art.<\/p>\n BW: Can you tell me more about your grand vision for Chie? I know there are more chapters and characters to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: Yes, there will be seven total chapters, akin to seven games in an NBA Finals. I won\u2019t give everything away, but Chie has a strong arc based on my wife\u2019s life experiences. Her actual name is Chihye, and the Japanese version is Chie, after whom the character is named. She\u2019s an Asian American female who has faced sexism and racism. We developed this character to help others understand these experiences. There\u2019s a twist at the end that I think people will be excited about.<\/p>\n BW: You\u2019ve got the whole thing planned out?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: We haven\u2019t worked on the visuals yet due to the time it takes to get the animation together, but we have a direction planned.<\/p>\n BW: Awesome, I\u2019m excited. I haven\u2019t seen the full Chapter Four yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: It\u2019s releasing very soon, so everyone should stay tuned.<\/p>\n BW: I\u2019m excited for it. Can you tell me about the giant Lego bricks beside you and the room you\u2019re in?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: This is a studio space where we house the bricks and plan. We ensure everything is structurally sound and safe. The sculpture is the biggest I\u2019ve made, at 16.5 feet long, 10 feet tall, and six feet wide. It\u2019s composed of 17 bricks interlocking at ComplexCon. It\u2019s a Jordan One in the Chicago colorway, linked to Chie\u2019s story and the NFT in Chapter Four. Visitors can see a 10-foot version in real life at ComplexCon. We\u2019re excited and working on the R&D here.<\/p>\n BW: What is the process of planning a Lego sneaker of this proportion, or even a small Lego sneaker? All of it seems complicated.<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: That\u2019s a good question. The development of this project has been about seven or eight years in the making. For the smaller shoes, I used programs available online to build them digitally, starting in 2015. These programs tell you what bricks you need, but not all bricks and colors are available for purchase. It\u2019s a constant process of designing with the available bricks. For example, the 21-inch Lego Jordan One, which we\u2019re also displaying at ComplexCon, is made up of about 4000 Legos. The design process involves digital assembly, examining from different angles, and ensuring structural integrity. Once I\u2019m comfortable with the design, I order the parts from resellers worldwide. Building the 21-inch model involves supergluing each piece, which takes about a week. I designed this model to be scaled up to the 10-foot version, which required more brainpower. Both have been long-term projects for me.<\/p>\n BW: Wow. About two years ago, I spoke with a Lego enthusiast who told me about conferences with speed building and creativity competitions. Are you a Lego enthusiast outside of the shoes you make?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: I\u2019m a casual Lego enthusiast. I grew up playing with Legos, which I had a special connection to because of my cousin who passed away. We used to play with them together. I\u2019m not hardcore about going to conventions, but I respect the work those people do. It\u2019s hard to build on our scale.<\/p>\n BW: I build with my son, and I find it difficult. We\u2019re building a tractor now, and it\u2019s challenging. What\u2019s the largest sculpture you\u2019ve made to date, outside of the upcoming 10-foot one?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: The largest so far is the 21-inch model. You can see it on my Instagram, where I\u2019m holding it. It\u2019s quite large, about 18 pounds, so it\u2019s pretty heavy.<\/p>\n BW: You finished your first sneaker in 2015 but didn\u2019t enter into NFTs until around 2019-2020. What were you doing in the interim?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: During that time, I was making various designs digitally. I used a program Lego provides, along with another to render 3D-looking images. I created art with hip-hop, pop culture, and sports references. I sold small sculptures and put my art on Instagram, doing it for the passion and to scratch a creative itch. When I was first approached to make an NFT, I had limited knowledge about blockchain and had to learn about Bitcoin and blockchain. It\u2019s been crazy to see the explosion of NFTs and to have been involved from the start.<\/p>\n BW: I\u2019m going to ask a question that might seem a little obnoxious, but my heart is in the right place. When you were building your first Jordan 11 in 2015, after your burger joint had folded and you were looking for a way to support your family, did you think this was a viable career path?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: At that point, I had no idea this would make money; it wasn\u2019t a commercial endeavor. I had received a Back to the Future DeLorean set, designed by someone who got 10,000 votes on Lego\u2019s website. The day after Christmas, inspired by that, I thought about what I loved and hadn\u2019t seen in Lego form: Air Jordans. Since 1989, I\u2019ve been a Jordan fan. That was the start of the three-month journey of building the sneaker. I didn\u2019t have social media then, as I was anti-social media, but I opened an Instagram to post it. Despite concerns about getting lost in the algorithm, I posted it in the middle of the night on a Tuesday. The next day, my first post ever went viral, picked up by all the hip blogs like Complex. However, it didn\u2019t bring any financial benefit initially.<\/p>\n BW: What avenues were you exploring after the burger joint? You mentioned screenwriting and having contacts in the industry through your wife, who\u2019s an actor.<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: I was serious about screenwriting and talked to industry people. But I realized my skill level wasn\u2019t where it should be, and the road was long and hard. Being middle-aged and starting a family, I felt it wasn\u2019t feasible. I didn\u2019t have a plan B, which may have been foolish, but that fear drove me to find something I loved. I had no idea I would make money from it; it was just something I loved to do. Then, thankfully, it started to happen.<\/p>\n BW: Going through your pieces, I noticed the DeLorean motif. You mentioned the DeLorean story earlier, and I find it interesting how it\u2019s become an important symbol in your work.<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: Back to the Future is one of my favorite movie series, especially the first two parts. The DeLorean Lego set, which I chose during a white elephant gift exchange, sparked my creativity. I used the DeLorean again in my art, making it meta. The car\u2019s design was ahead of its time, and I\u2019m a big design guy. The movie made it a piece of lore, and for many reasons, it\u2019s something I really love.<\/p>\n BW: It\u2019s fascinating how the DeLorean metaphor played out in your life. Speaking of art, it seems like the web3 community has recently started to appreciate physical art again. There was a period during the Bull Run when people favored digital assets over physical objects. You\u2019ve been creating tangible art for a long time. How have you experienced this shift in web3, from anti-physical to embracing physical art?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: It\u2019s been interesting to see the change in mindset. Initially, there was a strong push to prove the worth of digital art, which made people hesitant about physical art. But over time, people have recognized the value of merging the two. I never tried to force my perspective, but I\u2019m in a good place now where people are more receptive. I\u2019m excited to use web3 and blockchain technology in combination with my physical work to create more authentic experiences. This wouldn\u2019t have been possible without web3. I\u2019m glad the thinking has shifted because I enjoy both types of art, and it\u2019s great to be in this happy place.<\/p>\n BW: With web3 being a huge part of your career and having taken off before its rise, how have you fared in the bear market? What tactics have you used to diversify your output during this challenging period?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: I\u2019m thankful for having established myself with physical art, which has always been part of my journey. Partnering with a gallery to develop a show took my focus away from the downturn in web3 and allowed me to concentrate on physical art while still honing my skills in animation. I continued to release work, like chapter three, even in dark times, to show consistency and engagement. I believe those who have been consistent will be trusted by collectors. While I\u2019m aware of the value fluctuations in NFT art, I try not to focus on that. My priority is my confidence in my skills and the work I\u2019m willing to put in. I assure my collectors that I will deliver value over time, regardless of market fluctuations. I\u2019m aware of the market conditions but choose not to let them discourage me.<\/p>\n BW: When did 3D art come into your artistic practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: Originally, I used the Lego program for 2D, flat images. The first set of NFTs I did was 3D rendering, but it wasn\u2019t animated. I created one piece with animation, but it was a series of slides put together in a movie editing program, not a rigged animation. I started with still imagery that looked more 2D-ish, then graduated to full 3D rigs and motion capture to take it to the next level.<\/p>\n BW: On your website, there are some 2D images that haven\u2019t been minted. Are you working on new 2D art?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: Those images on my website are from the period before I got into NFTs and after I started doing Lego art. My website is a bit dated, but I keep those pictures because I love them. They\u2019re older works from the time I described earlier, and I feel if someone likes those, they\u2019ll probably love my newer stuff too.<\/p>\n BW: As a full-time artist for many years, is there anything you\u2019ve learned in the last seven or eight years that you wish you had known sooner, regarding your process or relationship building?<\/strong><\/p>\n TY: That\u2019s a great question. Coming from a finance and business background, my early career was driven by the goal of making as much money as possible. It\u2019s a mentality I still struggle to shake off. The creative side should remain separate from this mindset, as it can complicate things. At times, I\u2019ve been influenced by what I think will sell or what people want to see. I have to be vigilant about not letting financial motivations dominate. I wish I had known earlier to focus on what I really want to say, share, and believe in. I believe that creating art around these true passions will eventually bring financial rewards. It requires work and discipline, not just passivity. For anyone considering a career change or pursuing the arts, I advise having the courage to take that step. If it\u2019s connected to your true voice, that\u2019s the greatest contribution you can make to the world, and it\u2019s what will be valued, not just doing what you think you should or what others tell you to. It\u2019s a lesson I\u2019ve learned and still work on, but I\u2019m aware enough to check myself.<\/p>\n \n\t\t<\/div>\n
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