J★RYU

Occupation: 
Artist

Jesse R. Yu, also known as J★RYU, is a Los Angeles-based sculptor focused on exploring the themes of life and death and more intriguingly, what lies beyond.
Yu's works have been featured in galleries around the country and world, at events like Coachella Music Festival and Art Basel Miami. He is frequently an invited guest of conventions and events internationally where he conducts panels on art and business, as well as live sculpting showcases . Some of the events he has attended as a guest are Singapore Toy Gaming Comic Convention, Indonesia Toy Gaming Comic Convention, Shanghai Comic Con and New York Comic Con.

J★RYU has also been honored to work with companies such as a Kidrobot, Flabslab, Art Whino, Rotofugi, myplasticheart, Munky King, Topps and artists such as Angry Woebots, Luke Chueh, Jermaine Rogers, Nosego and more on collaborations and shows.

In 2012, J★RYU was nominated and won for the Best Toy Customizer category at the Designer Toy Awards, an annual celebration of accomplishments for the designer toy industry.

Yu primarily works in epoxy, polymer clay and resin as well frequent customizations on top of vinyl art collectibles.

Prior to his career in fine art, Yu spent 15 years in the corporate world as a designer working for clients such as Marvel, Sony, Columbia Pictures and more.