Inji Seo is back and better than ever with two animations and a myriad of other work

Ever since we first found out about Inji Seo, we’ve been glued to our screens watching the Seoul-based artist inject the world with more fun, more colour and more magnetism. We’ve seen her work in the pages of Elephant Magazine, on t-shirts and across a myriad of different campaigns which never fail to add a little more joy to the day. And now, to the delight of Inji fans all over the world, we have two brand new animations to share with you.

Recently, she’s created the music video for the Korean band, Seoul Moon. Titled We Will Stay Here, the three-and-a-half-minute short is Inji’s most narrative-fuelled piece yet. Beautifully atmospheric, the illustrator and animator takes us on a whirlwind journey following the three band members as a hot summer’s day draws to a close and their adventures into the night begin. We Will Stay Here is the second music video Inji has created for the band. She tells It’s Nice That of this ongoing collaboration: “Instead of another celebration of summer and all-things summer-related, we decided to make something a bit more comforting and immersive for the viewers. So I tried to give each character a more specific role and concept.”

Bathed in a silky smooth light, Inji’s distinctive style appears at its best in the transportive animation. When it comes to the technique of achieving her vivid works, Inji tries to show the detail without describing too much. “I want to find the middle ground where both the viewers and I can feel and understand the same viewpoint without showing every little detail I feel,” she says. And with that in mind, her recent work certainly evokes this through its personality and charm. Expanding on her animation abilities, Inji has also been working on illustrations and animations for a group exhibition at Sung Nam Cube Art Gallery.

Titled Covering Fire, the first work is based on the feeling of rage. She explains of the artwork’s inspiration: “There’s been a huge uproar due to cybersex trafficking (such as the ‘Nth Room case’) where numerous women including minors have been targeted and victimised. It’s reported that more than 200,000 people paid to watch and share sexually exploitative videos and sometimes even taking part in the assaults themselves.” Across the country, many people were heartbroken and angered by the case, while others blamed with victims and in turn, the hashtag #I_truly_believe_no_woman_deserves_to_be_a_victim circulated across social media.

“Upon learning the news,” continues Inji, “I felt angry and mostly powerless because I felt like there’s not much an individual can do. But as an artist, I think it is important to never forget this rage and continue to throw light to the matter. Keep the fire going.” With a newfound motivation to create work, elsewhere in Inji’s life, she’s also found new a new lease of inspiration in the form of her new dog, Thor. Ever since he’s come into the artist’s life, her “days have changed quite drastically.”

Instead of staying home all day, she’s been out and about with Thor, hiking, “feeling the fresh air on my skin,” she adds, “and for the first time in a long time, I feel the ‘joy of being alive’.” Now, she wants to continue to share such feelings through her eloquent works, immersing the viewer in a powerful glow. So as for the future, as well as Inji continuing to explore these kinds of emotions, she also hopes to further explore differing animation techniques, not to mention directing.

While her interest in animation started out from a desire to make her illustrations move, animation has quickly become a growing passion for Inji. Though its physically tiring, working on both illustration and animation allows her to release two different kinds of creative urges. “The more I learn about animation, the harder it gets,” she finally goes on to say. “I would love to challenge myself and see how far I can go within the field.”