By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Arij Ahmed Ibrahim
Photos = Puuung
You might ask yourself, "Who is Puuung?" Well, if you’re a real fan of art and drawings, or even a social media person, you will find the answer very easily.
Puuung is an artist who draws the animated series called “Love is...“ It stars a fictional boy and a girl.
Her drawings are very well-known across social media in the Middle East, especially in Egypt. A year ago, her drawings began to spread widely across social media in Egypt. I discovered friends of mine who were sharing the cartoons without even knowing that Puuung was Korean!
She could easily attract a lot of people under the name of "love," and she could reach their hearts just by drawing. That made me want to interview her for months, and I got the chance to do so. Now we could finally learn more about her.
- You are sort of a mystery for all your fans. They sometimes wonder about your real name, your nationality and whether you're a woman or a man. What would you like to tell them?
I'm a woman. My real name is Park Dami. I'm from Korea.
- How did you start drawing? Did you study it or was it a hobby?
When I was young, I used to doodle. I've always liked drawing. So I went to a university that was related to art. I learned drawing and animation.
- How did you get inspired to draw two characters in their different daily life situations?
I'm a very simple person. So I'm moved by the little things. For example, eating with my friends, watching beautiful flowers. Even when the weather is good, I get so happy. I just portray my feelings. That's what the "Love is..." series is all about.
- Is there a reason why you represent love in your pictures?
Everybody around the world is in love. We can't be happy every day. Sometimes, we're sad or angry. We even sometimes want to give up on everything. Nevertheless, we feel happy in our life because of love. Love makes our mind abundant and busy. It's the most important thing there is. I want people to realize the love that's hidden in little things in our lives.
- How does drawing reflect your own life?
I love drawing. I'm nothing without it. I just like drawing. Drawing makes me happy and it steers my whole life.
- How do you feel about the fact that your pictures have spread widely across the Arab world, especially in Egypt? People post them, share them and use them as wallpapers, all under the title "Love is...".
I can't believe it. I'm honored. I'm so happy to hear that. It’s the result of love, I think. Love exists in all everyone's lives. Of course, it's different from one person to another, as to our object of love, the depth of love, the texture of love, and all that. Nonetheless, everyone loves something. I'm glad to know that’s true.
- Have you ever thought that your art would be that famous? What are your real dreams?
I never thought about that. I'm not that mature concerning drawing, so I'll try to draw more. I'm very lucky, luckier than my ability to draw. Thanks for everything. My dream is that my drawings make people happy. I hope people get happy while seeing my drawings. Also, I hope my drawings reach all the people around the world. Now that I'm drawing cartoons, I hope they receive the same love from my readers.
- What are the names of your characters?
They don't have names. I want people to think about my drawings as if they're portraying their own stories. That's why they don't have names.
- Have you decided to take your art to a new level?
I want to draw the "Love is..." series until I die. I don’t know about love yet, so if I live a bit longer, I'll realize love more deeply. Maybe then I'll draw different things. I can make "Love is..." cartoons with illustrations.
- What kind of message would you like your art to send?
My message is that I hope people just become happy while seeing my drawings. My drawings don't have any ideology, except love.
- You add new characters to your stories sometimes, like a cat. Can you tell us more about that?
Yes. Someday, I'll draw another cat. For example, a girlfriend for Garfield, or something. Or friends of the characters. I'll draw it during my whole life. Maybe many new characters will appear.
- I'm really glad to have this interview with you. You seem to be a very nice person, and thanks for your time. As our final question, please say a word or two for your fans all over the world.
Thanks for your love. I hope my drawings amuse you forever, and that you'll be as happy as my drawings. Please keep enjoying my comics and take a look at how they change. Thank you so much.
You can find more about her cartoons here.
wisdom117@korea.kr
