Tokebi | |
---|---|
![]() Tokebi design used by heavy metal band Mastodon | |
Born | Bernal Aguilar 1981 (age 42–43) |
Nationality | Guatemalan |
Alma mater | Universidad del Istmo |
Movement | Lowbrow |
Website |
www |
Bernal Aguilar (born 1981), also known as Tokebi ( Korean: 도깨비) is a Guatemalan artist, illustrator, and university professor, best known for the use of skulls, bright neon colors and Kitsch aesthetic in his work. [1] [2] Tokebi rose to popularity when was personally chosen by Grammy winner heavy metal band Mastodon to design their merchandise for the 2019's European Tour. [3] Tokebi is especially popular among rock bands, rappers and DJs, [4] and is seen as one of the international ambassadors of the Guatemalan lowbrow movement. [3]
Tokebi's artistic career began in 2010 on the streets of Hongdae, Seoul, where he used to sell his pieces on signed prints and t-shirts, gaining recognition in local media for thriving as a foreigner. [5] [2] In 2014 Tokebi with a group of local and international artists founded and participated in an artistic collective exhibition with the aim of uniting international and Korean artists called Nothing Serious I and Nothing Serious II respectively, in Seoul, South Korea. [3] However, most of his work is related to the music industry, especially in the indie, rock, hip hop and electronic music scene, working with bands like Grammy winner Mastodon, [4] Calcium, and local bands in United States, Australia, Europe, among others. Tokebi is currently teaching university courses in Digital Illustration, Graphic and Multimedia Design at the Universidad del Istmo in Guatemala, [3] and his artistic career is now orbiting the non-fungible assets or NFT market. [6] In 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala enlisted Tokebi in the National Artist Registry. [7]