A Conversation with Spaceman (Khoa Ho)
An Interview with the Dark Designer of Superhero — Past/Present fame
What’s up, Khoa? How about a little introduction to start off with?
Khoa: Hey Darshan, I’ll keep my intro short. I’ve always loved and had an obsession with art at a very young age. I studied Fine Art and Graphic Design at my University in hopes to pursue a career in the art world. As far as Pop Culture Art is concerned, I started in 2013 and never looked back. I hope to continue this journey for as long as I can.
When did your design career picked up pace & what got you into design?
Khoa: I would say, I got more attention in 2013 for my Superhero — Past/Present work. My love for art and curiosity for computers led me towards a design path.
How does your design stack looks like?
Khoa: Photoshop and Illustrator are my software choices. iMac & Wacom tablet for hardware.
Your minimal designs, especially the Superhero — Past/Present series pulled out a lot of attention in the pop culture world. I see a dozen of artists going minimal now. What’s your take on the Minimal Design trend?
Khoa: I don’t really have a take on the minimal trend. I will say that sometimes minimal works and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve come to learn that ultimately if the art is done for the right reasons and is done with passion and love, than that’s all that matters in the end.
As you might believe, commission projects are where we earn our daily bread from, but the passion/personal projects are the ones which help us gain a name for ourselves out there in the Creative World. How often do you do passion projects? And how likely are you to recommend it to the fellow designers?
Khoa: As a kid, I made art from passion and love. Money and recognition didn’t matter to me. As a grownup trying to earn a living, those things matter a bit more. I try to balance passion projects and projects that, like you said, earn my daily bread as best I can. When the two are one and the same is when you know you’ve done something right.
Design needs a lot of inspiration and thinking, how do you keep yourself inspired and smart?
Khoa: I don’t have any exercises or practices that I do. I find inspiration and ideas from all around me and most of the time it just presents itself to me when it is ready for me to take it.
What metrics do you follow to charge your clients? Is there any specific flow that you practice?
Khoa: In my experience with clients, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. So, I go into each job with an open mind and try not to be too similar in my approach. I try my best to understand their side before I present them with mine. It just depends on the situations as well.
How crazy are you about art, films, music and video games?
Khoa: I am obsessed with them all.
What do you feel the state of design is going to be like in the coming years?
Khoa: Design and art in general will continue to move forward at a rapid pace, thanks to advanced programs and technology. As far as Pop Culture Art goes, there are quite a few trends out there at the moment that are a bit dull and lifeless, don’t you think?
I want to see someone emerge from the shadows of today’s Pop Art scene and blow us away with something fresh and weird. Then we can all copy that person 😉
Any insights from your current project? Plans for any passion project in the near future?
Khoa: Currently, I’ve taken a step back from putting work out there. I felt it was necessary to find what makes me happy with the art I am doing before I can share it with the world. I needed to refuel my passion for art. I have done quite a few unreleased work during this ‘down time’ and will return with new stuff soon.
You’ve been doing such great wonders for some good years now. Your designs have certainly took me away for a ride. What words of wisdom would you share for the aspiring Designers?
Khoa:
I continue to learn a lot about myself as an artist and the art as whole. My advice to any person out there is to chase what you love, but to not chase it blindly. Be open and hopeful about everything that you do, but don’t be stubbornly naive about it. Push yourself hard to do great things, but take a step back every now and then to breath and reflect. You can dream, but don’t stay asleep. Wake up!
Rapid Fire Round
Minimalism is _____ to design.
Not as easy as you think
Given a chance, what superpower would you like to possess?
All of them B-)
Favorite Movie?
The Dark Knight.
Favorite Video Game?
Halo CE.
Express your love for Design in one line or two.
My love for design is becoming an obsession.
I would go bonkers if ____.
I don’t sleep soon.
State of Design in America is like _____.
Interesting.
Darshan is _____.
A cool dude.
Minimal design enthusiasts like me totally love the artwork of Khoa. Khoa has been doing ultra awesome projects like Superhero — Past/Present, Dragon Ball Z to name a few & he has this unque style of designing where he brings the double perspective about the lives of characters. Thank you for your words of wisdom, Khoa. Keep stunning us with your thoughtful designs.
You may like to pay a visit to Khoa’s art gallery at k-ho-a.com. You can also follow him on Behance, like his artist page on Facebook, send him a tweet on Twitter or read his Tumblr blog. He’s pretty awesome of a man to connect with.
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This Conversation was originally posted on darshangajara.com.
