This week, The Hundreds is poised to unveil a collaboration that just might settle the longstanding debate of East versus West with a third option: Why not both? We’re teaming up with Brooklyn-based artist, Dadu Shin, whose name has become synonymous with the online acclaim for his unparalleled ability to weave profound depth and raw emotion with a ballpoint pen. Shin’s work captures serene moments of loneliness and isolation. One illustration portrays a person in bed while another shows a bustling living room from the perspective of someone outside looking in, but both share the embodiment of solitude across a myriad of ink layers. “The world can be pretty, beautiful, and wholesome,” Shin explains, “But the world is also unsettling and weird. I try to achieve an eeriness and melancholia in my work because it’s an acknowledgment and reminder that those feelings exist…and that it’s ok to feel that way.” 

The collaboration containing a sweatshirt, graphic t-shirt, and a snapback features original artwork by Shin inspired by the enigmatic interactions that characterize our daily lives. It shows a depiction of a somber woman shedding a stream of tears and a hand striking a pose with fingers extending endlessly.

We chatted with the artist ahead of the collaboration release about the inspiration behind the designs, patience, and ice cream. Read the full interview below and get the collaboration now while it’s here.

Sandy Mosqueda: What’s the inspiration behind the graphics featured in the collaboration?

Dadu Shin: The world can be pretty, beautiful, and wholesome, but the world is also unsettling and weird. I tend to view things through the lens of the weirdness. I try to achieve an eeriness and melancholia in my work because it’s an acknowledgment and reminder that those feelings exist…and that it’s ok to feel that way. The graphics for The Hundreds collab are representations of that thought. 

Talk to us about the relationship between art and patience — especially in your case, with your art involving many layers.

Patience isn’t necessarily required to exercise one’s creativity, however, I do find it to be something that continuously pops up when I’m working. Whenever I work on something, it tends to look like garbage for what feels like the first 75% of the process. Intellectually, I know that I need to have the patience to see it through and that if all goes well I’ll end up with something interesting. 

“I do find the building of layers to be somewhat meditative, and a way to get out of my own head for a period of time.”

In practice, it’s much harder. I’m constantly battling my need to be a perfectionist. Patience goes a long way in that struggle. In reference to my pen work, I do find the building of layers to be somewhat meditative, and a way to get out of my own head for a period of time. I don’t know if “getting into the zone” is necessarily a result of patience, but that’s a discussion for another time.

How long does it take to make one piece?

It changes depending on things like size and complexity. It can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks. 

“I found that monochromatic drawings simplified my process and thinking. I didn’t have to think about color, brushes, textures etc. I could just think about what I wanted to draw and draw it.”

How often do you switch from ballpoint pen to other methods/tools of art? Is there typically something that triggers the change?

I’ve worked with many different mediums throughout my career. When I started using a pen for my work, it was at a time when I was diving into more personal work. I was thinking very much about images that depicted things that I felt personally connected to. I was more focused on the subject matter and less focused on the medium. I found that monochromatic drawings simplified my process and thinking. I didn’t have to think about color, brushes, textures etc. I could just think about what I wanted to draw and draw it. 

Lately, I’ve been incorporating more color back into my work, like I did for the two pieces for The Hundreds. And I think about what my work will look like in the future, and how long I’ll keep working in pen. I do miss painting. I’ve always been someone who likes trying new things and I never want to feel trapped by an aesthetic or style. So, all that said, I think the switch of mediums tends to be dictated by what I’m trying to get out of my own work, and if I feel like it’s fulfilling me in the right ways.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

I’m always down for classic chocolate, but I’ll try anything peanut butter or black sesame flavored.

You wrote in your introduction for your sold-out show, “Here and There”, that your real dream is to grow a foot taller and become a pro basketball player. If that suddenly became true tomorrow, what would you do after you retired? What’s the next dream?

This is a boring answer, but I think it would just be to have the resources to make the work I want to make…and do it without outside interference.

THE HUNDREDS BY DADU SHIN IS AVAILABLE NOW. SHOP THE COLLABORATION HERE.