Digital Artist and Fashion Designer Edo

Edo: Digital Artist and Fashion Designer
Interviewed and written by Darnell Jordan

Webster’s Dictionary defines art as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.”

To groundbreaking digital artist and fashion designer Edo, “everything is art.”

I initially met Edo at an art show in February of this year. I instantly observed the passion that he had for his craft while he presented his pieces. After getting to know him better, I found myself further impressed with the amount of focus that he has. He possesses a confidence and polish that most don’t acquire until the age of 30 or older.

In a short amount of time, Edo has managed to create a unique brand that boldly represents a radical perception of the world we live in.

Born and raised in Chicago IL, he started as a pre-teen with a love of building and doodling. “I would always build go-carts, play submarines, and all these different things, but I would build them out of things I found in the alley,” says Edo.

At the age of 19, he realized that being an artist was more than a hobby for him. It had become a way of living. He managed to learn the basics, and develop his skill without any formal training.

His love of anime inspired his attraction to digital art. This particular art form celebrates his childhood love of cartoons like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon. “Illustration gives me a nostalgic feeling of a time where it used to all make sense, because you know, once you grow up, they try to cut your wings off.”

Edo’s first art show was held on November 14, 2015 for his Infinite Inception Pt 1 collection. The concept for this collection was inspired from design work that he created for Fat Tiger boutique owner, Joe Fresh Goods. The collection consists of 10 portraits of his Chicago peers who have influenced him. The 10^th piece is a portrait of his mother, which received a special unveiling. Over 200 people attended, resulting in all of the pieces being sold, including re-prints. His proceeding collections are Emotion: Nostalgia, They Taught Me Nothing Pt 1, and Infinite Illusion. His next collection, Infinite Inception 2: The Lost, will debut on June 25^th.

Influenced by legendary artists such as Keith Haring and Andy Warhol, he describes his art as “organized chaos.” His art pieces contain subliminal messages that aren’t all immediately found. Each time you revisit one of his pieces, you’re likely to find a new message that you didn’t catch before. “I don’t necessarily want to give all the messaging away, because I feel like people from generations down will be able to unlock messages. It’s infinite, infinite being forever.” This unique effect is what keeps his art fresh and inevitably thought of as timeless. Other art influences of his include The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, and Kaws.

At first glance, it’s very apparent as to how much Edo’s personal style coincides with his art. His exploration of the fashion world actually began before his art career. He started fashion designing based on his love of clothes, and the many ways his view of the world could be expressed. Pharrell, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Jeremy Scott are a few of his top fashion influences.

His “clean, futuristic” style manifests in his clothing line, Emperion. The line is a mind-blowing display of the way he envisions people in the future will dress. Emperion, which means freedom, has a variety of standout pieces including circle book-bags, holographic caps, and see-through rain-coats. He is planning a special re-launch of the line in the near future with a fashion showcase, Futurera.

Edo’s success definitely hasn’t come without its ups and downs. The biggest challenge for him as an upcoming artist is the new found attention that he gets. Respecting the connection he has with the public through his talent, while maintaining a level of privacy within his personal life is a constant struggle. He also finds the balancing act of business and artistry to be tricky. “The business side is brutal. I fall out of love with art when it comes to business, but you gotta do business. So, you just gotta suck it up.”   

The increased demand of his time has helped him realize how important it is to have assistance. He is now backed by an all-star team that consists of a manager, art manager, publicist, and photographer.

Although he has accomplished a lot of amazing things, Edo feels like he has yet to tap into his full potential. Moving forward, he envisions having his own studio, which would house both his art and fashion designs. He hopes to someday have the opportunity to create murals on buildings. He also plans to expand his futuristic style into upcoming art and fashion shows by incorporating holograms.

There is no doubt that his career will take him across the world, but he vows to always keep Chicago close to his heart. He wants to influence the city with his thought-provoking art, specifically the youth.

As a proud member of the collective creative group Treated Crew, Edo doesn’t desire to be shackled down to one identity. He was once afraid of sharing the many gifts he has. This was due to fear of his creativity not being understood or accepted. He now embraces that uncertainty.  

“Artists express whatever they feel, no matter what people think. That’s the freedom of it. I’m going to wake-up, and create something because of how I feel. You may like it, you may not like it, but I did it my way, and I feel good. I got out what I needed to get out.”

Words of a legend in the making. Stay tuned to the world according to Edo!