A painting by artist Mu Pan featuring Bruce Lee battling a puking Ultraman. Yes.
Some have compared the style of artist Mu Pan to that of another highly regarded artist, Ralph Steadman, the collaborator and long-time friend of Hunter S. Thompson. And much like the often ragged, tormented-looking characters in Steadman’s work, Mu Pan’s subjects appear to be engaged in violent clashes with antagonists that range from animal/human hybrids to martial arts hero Bruce Lee locked in battle with the alien/robot known as Ultraman. Excellent.
Pan was born in Taichung City, Taiwan which he left behind at the age of 21 when he moved to the U.S. He would attend college in New York where he acquired his B.F.A. and M.F.A. in Illustration and Illustration as Visual Essay at the School of Visual Arts. According to Pan, if he hadn’t gone to art school, his mother had threatened to send him to a military academy. Lucky for us, this scenario didn’t result in Pan in becoming a military lifer, and the remarkably talented artist now spends his days teaching Illustration to students at his alma mater.
If I had to take a stab at describing Pan’s style, I’d call it a chaotic, often barbaric blend of classic eastern-inspired folk art infused with modern pop culture references. And it looks as good as that sounds. I’ve posted a nice selection of Pan’s work below for you to spend time dissecting with your eyeballs. Some are slightly NSFW.
Watercolor.
Watercolor.
Another image of Bruce Lee by Pan, this time in watercolor.
‘Mermaid.’
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Ornate Chinese opium pipes and other exotic drug paraphernalia of the 19th century
Jaw-dropping Animation for Central China Television
‘Jigoku’: The brilliantly grim Japanese horror film about Hell
Bruce Lee and Freddie Mercury are best friends forever on this bizarre Japanese Twitter account
Godzilla, girls and guns: Color-drenched Japanese sci-fi art