Illustrator AJ Dungo creates otherworldly illustrations and art work that taps into common and more human problems people encounter in their day to day.
Hey! Please introduce yourself and what you do!
My name is AJ Dungo and I’m an illustrator.
What is it about your practice that you find so exciting and keeps you hooked?
I think the things like spontaneity and structures are exciting to me. Mixing different combinations of opposites with unpredictable results keeps me engaged in what I’m making because there’s risk involved.
Where do you get your daily inspiration?
Reading, going to see art, listening to music, surfing, skating, traveling, and my friends.
What makes you wake up each morning feeling pumped to create some new work?
Student loans and anxiety.
Are there any artists/photographers/writers/filmmakers or musicians where you have in mind when looking at creating new works?
Not recently but I have seen a lot of stuff that has given me a lot of inspiration lately. I just took a trip to Europe with some friends and it was basically a tour of museums, studios, and gallery shows for nearly three weeks straight. A complete overload of art and constant sore feet.
Photographers, classical painters, animators, comic’s artists, filmmakers, architects, and publishers made the most moving works we saw. Some of my favourites were Nobuyoshi Araki, Picasso, Rouseeu, Gericault, R. Crumb, Chris Ware, Moth Collective, Wrap Magazine, Paul Smith, David Pearson, and Nobrow press. Seeing all this art made me very excited to go home, pick up a pencil and get to work.
What are you currently working on that you just can’t get enough of?
I just graduated and had a tumultuous last couple of months in my personal life, so I’ve just been trying to relax and figure things out. Non art-related, when I’m surfing I’ve been working on my cutbacks and trying to do a pivot 360 on some buttery lefts since I’m goofy footed.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to help a former teacher/artist, Jason Holley, build and paint his stage design for the next ICON illustration conference in Austin, TX. Should be fun!
See more of AJ’s work here!
