Daniel Seo is the epitome of creativity, from painting award-winning art pieces to writing books about cinema, his artistry has no bounds. His expansive passions have recently caught the attention of some of the most prestigious art schools across the country, from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago to the Pratt Institute in New York. His journey into art sparked when he was young, but he started taking it more seriously in high school.
“I was always into art, but during COVID I started painting more and more,” Seo said. “It was just an amazing way to find a way to express myself and my creativity.”
Apart from having more free time, Seo was also inspired by his art teacher, Ms. Wilson.
“Ms. Wilson was really the one person in my life I think saw a creative spark inside me,” Seo said. “If it weren’t for her I don’t think I would be able to make paintings or be as creative as I am today,”
Inspired by his teacher, Seo took painting more seriously and is currently developing his unique style.
“I’ve recently been getting into painting abstract portraits with creative meanings and incorporating the occasional graffiti,” Seo said.
Besides unique styling, he mostly focuses on painting his own stories or characters.
“My favorite part about painting is that I get to create my own stories or characters, and in doing so, it feels like I have control of something,” Seo said.
His artistic journey, however, wasn’t short of any difficulties.
“One of the challenges I faced during my journey was getting recognition for my creativity because there are so many artists that are very talented but they never get the recognition they deserve,” Seo said.
This is a common occurrence for many young artists in high school. Although talent is a crucial factor in the artistic world, navigating the landscape and breaking through the field’s behaviors requires a unique combination of networking, marketing, and patience. Fortunately, Daniel has broken through these barriers and is being recognized for his talents. He plans to attend the Art Institute of Chicago next year and is excited about the opportunity.
“I’ll definitely continue painting, drawing, and sculpting art pieces. I plan to sell my work and hopefully have it shown in museums and galleries,” Seo said. “On the side, I’ll be pursuing both my passions for writing and cinema whether it be directing films or authoring about my creative processes.”
