Korean artist Shin He-mi has a knack for drawing crowds—literally

Shin He-mi is a Korean illustrator and muralist who has a tough time staying organized—but you’d never guess it from her art. Working under the name Seenaeme, she creates crowded compositions populated by adorable, pudgy characters that seem to be battling for space with the mishmash of landscapes, buildings, and objects that form the backdrop. Despite the visual congestion, the work never feels too busy or cluttered. It’s a distinct aesthetic that appears across Shin’s body of work, which ranges from pen-and-paper doodles, to digital illustrations, to larger-than-life murals.

韩国插画师兼墙绘艺术家 Shin He-mi 一向非常努力地让自己变得井井有条——即使你从她的作品里永远也感受不到她是这样的人。以 Seenaeme 为艺名的她，作品中满是可爱的矮胖角色，画中的角色似乎正与背景中各种景观、建筑和物体争夺空间。尽管画面很丰富，但不会让人觉得太过拥挤和杂乱。这种独特的审美贯穿在 He-mi 的作品当中，囊括了她的纸笔手稿、数字插图，以及大过身高的壁画。

Storytelling is a vital part of Shin’s creative process. Starting with a specific narrative has led to some of her best work, and now, devising a complete story is the first step to any project. “When I see a blank canvas, I view it like it’s a cinema screen,” she says. “Inside that screen, I think about how I can start to develop my story and characters.” This penchant for great storytelling is also what inspired her to create homages to some of her favorite tales of all time, including Star Wars, Little Mermaid, Final Fantasy VII, and more.

讲故事是 He-mi 创作中至关重要的部分。一些她最好的作品，都会从一个具体的故事提纲展开，而现在，完整的故事也只是任何项目开始的第一步。“当我面对一块空白的画布时，我会把它想像成电影屏幕，”她说。“在那个屏幕里，我会思考如何开始发展我的故事和角色。” He-mi 喜爱出色的讲述方式，这也激发她重新塑造那些优秀的作品，包括《星球大战》、《小美人鱼》和《最终幻想VII》等等。

It’s not just works of fantasy that get her creative juices flowing. Many of her works are based on ordinary moments that she’s observed in her day-to-day to life. Yet she doesn’t believe in being a detached spectator, and building connections with others is of equal importance to her. It’s also the primary reason for her interest in mural art. “When I draw in the streets, I get direct feedback from the crowd. The fact that my drawings are immediately on display to them fills me with excitement. It’s also fascinating to me that any random passerby can inadvertently become an audience member.”

除了脑洞大开的作品，He-mi 还从各种素材中迸发灵感。她的很多作品都是基于日常生活中观察到的平凡时刻。但她不认为自己是一个冷漠的旁观者，对她来说，与他人建立联系也是同等重要的。这也是她对墙绘艺术感兴趣的主要原因。“当我在大街上画画时，我能从人群中得到非常直接的反馈。我也能非常兴奋地向他们展出我当下的作品。任何路过的人都可能无意中成为观众，这对我来说是一件很令人着迷的事。”