Meet Alex Bosserman | Digital Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Bosserman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My original plan was to enter the advertising industry post college, but graduating during covid when everyone was getting laid off really didn’t set the stage for me as a newbie trying to get in. So, my plan-B was teaching English abroad, and I spent 2 years doing so in South Korea. It was fun at first but eventually a grind that left me feeling dispirited and without a creative outlet. The work was exhausting so there was no energy at the end of a workday for my creative efforts. I quit teaching but stayed in Korea, with connections in the underground music scene that got me some creative gigs to support my life here. My ultimate goal is to create visuals for musicians, and I see my time spent post graduation as taking baby steps towards that!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art has evolved across mediums over the years, but currently I’m focusing on digital art that promotes live events. While living in Seoul, I’ve gotten close to the underground music scene and took advantage of the need for flyers and promos for events. I wanted to push the medium and found myself settling on 10-20 second advertisements that center creative 3D designs that tell a story mirroring the vibe of the event or venue.

My designs are usually inspired by sound, either a song or audio texture that tickles the brain. I try to stand out by marrying strong sound design with visuals. In the past I’ve made music videos for bands like Grouplove, and recently collaborated with Danish-Korean band “Meejah” to breathe life into their multicultural lyrics and shoegazey ambient sound.

It’s been a treate to collaborate with artists who have roots across multiple countries. I’ve made some work for artists in LA, events in New York, countless events in Seoul, and what has united all of those experiences is the chance for me to see things from a different perspective. My hope is that my work is unique and stands out from the crowd – a lot of 3D art is trend chasing given it’s adoption by the NFT craze, so I’m trying to push my work away from the rest by building a strong story or world for each piece.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Los Angeles, my go to would be literally any taco truck and then hitting the beach. Here in South Korea there is a real absence of mexican food – a taco plate costs around 30$ at some places. My favorite spot in Los Angeles though is probably The Ghetty. I love that its free admission and has an amazing view of the city. The tram ride up to the top is so Sci-Fi and the complex is like a slice of heaven with its minimalist white architecture. Of course I also love art so its nice to see the exhibits rotate and spend all day taking an audio tour of what they have.

In Seoul, my list of go-to places is way too long for just a week, but given a day, we’d start in the iconic downtown area near the palace, called Gyeongbokgong. After seeing the old traditional palace framed by the modern city, we’d head nearby to traditional Hanok (old Korean house) village to stop by my favorite Korean snack restaurant. It’s a type of food called “Bunsik” here, fried food and snacks that to me are a whole meal. They have Tteokbokki, fried fish cakes, and Sikhye, which is a sweet rice drink. You can eat it in this old garage atmosphere that feels really authentic.

After that we’d head down to Ikseondong, which is a really cute old Korean neighborhood that has been updated into a cafe and shop area. The alleyways are really narrow and winding, and each store is decorated so perfectly. There is a famous Sogeum-bbang (salt bread) bakery that is beyond delicious, and also my favorite cafe Cheongsudang Gallery is in the same neighborhood. This one in Ikseondong is a traditional old Korean house that’s been converted into a cafe. It’s very modern and clean with slates of marble and wood, and all the food and drinks are crafted to be works of art. The matcha is divine and its fun to sit and people watch. The fashion sense in Korea is unparalleled and cafe culture is big here, so everyone is usually looking really pretty.

After this neighborhood we’d probably get Korean BBQ somewhere, its good everywhere, and then head down to Sinsa to visit a cafe called NUDAKE. They have a really interesting brand story that prioritizes the aesthetics of the cafe. All their marketing is very my style, kind of quirky and weird, some 3D elements meeting with the art of baking. The interior of the store looks like something generated by AI, and all the pastries and bread are sculpture-esque. Above the cafe is also GENTLE MONSTER, a glasses brand that is also very futuristic, the retail space containing it usually collaborating with some visual artist to make the shopping experience like visiting a museum.

Lastly, dinner in Apgujeong-rodeo, a neighborhood frequented by rich k-pop idols. If you we’re lucky we might see one. But theres this incredible Shabu Shabu restaurant called Choega’s Mushroom House that seems quite unknown by foreigners. Its a spicy stew of vegetables, fish cakes, and toppings, similar to hot-pot. The broth cooks the beef, which you can mix with wasabi and soy sauce. As the broth cooks down it reduces into a very rich and thick sauce that is unlike anything I’ve had before. You mix it with noodles and the fried rice they cook at the end. Its a whole experience and I take everyone I know there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would shoutout the student newspaper at Cal State Fullerton, “The Daily Titan”. I LOVE all the people still working there and all the opportunities I took advantage of while there. At the time I was studying Advertising and didn’t have many people skills – very timid and shy. So I pushed myself to take a sales job there. I made sales calls and learned to be OK with rejection. At the same time I was illustrating for the paper, meeting countless students and building a cozy little life on campus. I eventually took charge of the paper’s advertising wing and had to train a whole sales team. Looking back I understand how important it was for me in growing my skillset and confidence. Shoutout to Michelle Kurland, the advertising advisor and professor at DT!

Website: alexbosserman.com

Instagram: @eyelidmovie