# Surreal Labyrinthine Illustrations Artist John Chae Creates Bizarrely Hypnotic Digital Images By Meghan Young | Published 2013-06-20 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/john-chae References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/06/19/john-chaes-fantastic-digital-worlds/) & [john-chae](http://www.john-chae.com/) Artist John Chae delves deep into a seemingly disturbed psyche with his [digital illustrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interactive-digital-artwork). Colorfully labyrinthine and boldly gritty, his provocative images are full of [pop culture references](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keiichi-tanaami-1) from The Power Rangers and Sailor Moon to cat memes and comic books. Odd and repetitive, John Chae's work hypnotizes his audience. Born in Boulder, Colorado, raised in Seoul, South Korea and currently based in Jacksonville, Florida, John Chae certainly has quite the humor. His about page is almost as ambiguous as his illustrations as he divulges only that he was born in the year of the dragon, though is more like a rabbit, and has a blood type of B, but isn't sure if it is plus or minus. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.4/10 - Popularity: 34% | Activity: 1% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Labyrinthine Art:** Opportunities for disrupting the art industry by creating more surrealistic art pieces using digital technologies. - **Pop Culture References:** Innovations in media and entertainment fields centered around incorporating pop culture into their works. - **Provocative and Hypnotic Imagery:** Opportunities for disrupting the advertising and marketing industry via the creation of surreal and hypnotic ad campaigns. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art:** New art pieces with surrealistic styles can disrupt traditional art marketing and distribution. - **Media and Entertainment:** Incorporating more pop culture references in media and entertainment can disrupt perceptions of traditional forms of media. - **Advertising and Marketing:** Creating surreal and hypnotic ad campaigns can disrupt traditional advertising methods. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md) - [Stunning Origami Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-portaits.md) - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Human Duality-Themed Abstract Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/passive-aggression.md) - [Brain-Like Labyrinths](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/brash-collective.md) - [Mesmerizing Sculpture Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mesmerizing-sculpture.md) - [Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kayla-rumpp.md) - [AI-Generated Real-World Transformations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-generated-world.md) - [Playful Balloon Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keff-joons.md)