Surreal Yet Heartwarming Comics by Korean Illustrator Will Send You to Another World Filled with Cute Critters

Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor

Feb 21, 2025 1:00 PM EST

Do you ever see a piece of artwork that makes you want to live in the world created by the artist? I'm big on daydreaming and imagination, and I admit that I get this feeling rather often. It's easier to feel this way while watching a movie or TV show or reading a book. I love a piece of media with really extensive world building that allows me to imagine living in it in great detail. However, I also get that feeling when looking at paintings. I've always wanted to hang out with the strange beings featured in Leonora Carrington's pieces or to traverse a surreal landscape painted by Yves Tanguey.

Jeon Pil-hwa creates a world in his digital paintings that I yearn to explore. His comics are surreal, heartbreaking, and yet full of hope. The dream-like logic employed by the cute critters is downright Lynchian, but his illustrations seem like a warmer place to inhabit than the world of Twin Peaks. Scroll down to peruse a collection of this Korean artist's beautiful work.

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The image above reminds me of a book I used to love as a child: The Tale of Despereaux. The tone of that novel was just as melancholy as these digital paintings.
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Above is a beautiful portrayal of recognising intention behind actions. The wolf tore some of the sheep's wool, but the sheep knew it was not intentional, and that he needed comfort and attention.
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