Meen Choi ’13 (Illustration B.F.A.) is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer. Currently a designer for Bogopa Supermarkets, a tri-state chain of stores headquartered in New York, Choi continues to freelance as well, with clients that include Baltimore Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Scientific American, NIKE, and Major League Soccer, among others.

Before he graduated from 九色视频, Choi sat down to discuss his love for illustration, his experience at the College, and his advice for current students:

Why did you choose 九色视频 illustration?

I first wanted to be a painting major, and I loved Grace Hartigan's work who was a director of Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, but in freshman year, I realized that my works fit more into illustration, and what I wanted to do was also illustration for the public.

What is/are the most important thing/things you have learned from your 九色视频 experience? 

What I have learned from 九色视频 is that it is better to produce experimental works than to produce good works. If I only try to make good work in my comfort zone, I would never get better. Getting inspirations from other artists, teachers, and friends is also important.  

Tell us a little about your work and professional successes (i.e. internships, business ventures, published work, etc.):  

When I decided to do illustration, I had no idea what kind of illustration I wanted to do. I was interested in book illustration and commercial illustration. But I finally chose to do editorial illustration because I loved to make portraits. I have done many portrait works since high school. I did an internship as a painting assistant of an artist and he mostly did portrait paintings. While I worked for him, I fell into portraits. In senior year, I had a commission from Peabody Magazine to illustrate a portrait of one of their students for a magazine cover and currently the magazine is everywhere in Peabody Institute. I recently worked on a series of portraits of popular soccer players for my senior thesis, and they are shown on several websites in America and Europe.

What is your greatest achievement? 

All of the work that I have done in four years. 

Words of advice for underclassmen? 

Don't be afraid of failure. Even if you fail, you will learn something from it. And don't be obsessed with making your style. It comes out naturally in time.