Featured Artist: Kase
Norman, aka Kase, shares that his work allows him to “question our existence by examining death in relation to time as well as our connection to the universe.” Conversely, he uses bright colors to “bring some positive energy” to the dark themes. Nonetheless, although Kase’s surreal designs touch on difficult subjects like death, the designs are not meant to evoke fear, but rather a sense of curiosity and an appreciation for the beauty that is possible even in the midst of something terrible.
Kase admits that he struggles with procrastination and staying focused on what he must accomplish throughout the day. He likes to write down everything he needs to do “even the most mundane” to keep track of his day. He tries to prioritize his art but “sometimes life gets in the way.” However, when he has the time to focus on art he tries to “make something I’d be happy with even if it’s just for me.”
As a full-time graphic artist, Kase balances his work life, while also finding the time for his personal art. He shares, “I’m grateful that I get to create art for myself and for a living because that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Kase recently started learning 3D art and hopes that in the future he will be able to “immers[e] myself in virtual reality” or explore whatever new technologies exist.
Kase appreciates the works of the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí and the way he could “dive deep into his subconscious and create works of art that are eccentric and profound.” Like Dalí, Kase’s work is also eccentric and profound and he imagines it would taste “bittersweet like dark chocolate.” Although he explores difficult subjects he still finds a way to make it beautiful and uses his art to remind us of our connection to each other “through the use of space, death, nature and other symbolic imagery.”
Kase recognizes that an artist never feels “satisfied” with their work. However, he has accepted that he will never be satisfied and that he must instead use that feeling of discontent to “catapult a separate but related concept” and never stop creating.
