Artist Sean Go’s Grunge-Inspired Gods and Monsters Celebrate Diversity

Go's hunting dragons and chimerical creatures aim to sought out new optimism for all of us. While his imaginative projections of the animal kingdom may look like violent cave paintings or even ancient apocalyptic alien murals, Go's intentions for his art is not to destroy, but to connect with others. When you see Go's work, you believe anything is possible. His colors explode with "sprezzatura" along large canvases that are often 4 feet by 4 feet or larger. With his stormtroopers offering desserts and his Sith Lords serving traditional Filipino sweets, Go's mind is exactly like a child, yet so far from it. As an artist, Sean Go has Master of Art degrees from both Parsons School of Design in Paris, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. These are some of the most coveted stamps of approval, as creatives such as Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and Ai Weiwei attended the aforementioned institutions. Go's art thoughtfully proceeds towards revitalizing the optimism that a jaded world can deplete. With his incongruent laser beams and dragon breaths, Go's rock and roll carnivores reacquaints collectors with an infinite capacity for imagination.

Godzilla and Dream Eater - Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

Artist Sean Go, of mixed Chinese, Filipino, and Italian heritage has a track record of combining cross-cultural iconography in Barbie Wawa, and Captain America's Jeepney, in ways that respect original cultures while promoting diversity of history and thought. As an AAPI artist, Go calls into question capitalistic and Western ideologies that often are incompatible or even misunderstood in Asian contexts. For Go' his hybrid monsters, Iron Man references, and Humpty Dumpty cousins, diversity in choosing paths enables each character to come alive into a story that is unique to them, which defies the pretentions of classical narratives. As art is often a reflection of what humans believe, celebrate, and cherish, Go is using his canvases to broadcast that being one-of-a-kind – in culture, beliefs, and commitments is to be respected and supported, not discarded.

Dark Magician Buko Pandan Jelly – Acrylic on Canvas

Metagross – Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

With an imagination so expansive, Go is an artist who enjoys flipping the script to inspire others to take action to improve their circumstances, and to take a step forward, even if they are afraid. Go's works are multicultural and intersectional in nature. Just look at his Pumba Tocino Spam and Hulk Sisig. Go layers decolonial and sustainable meanings into his art, which are significant when analyzed within our historical context for re-evaluating the language and legacy of Western Imperialism. Having been raised in a household with a diverse range of customs, Go seeks to inform cultural nuance and sentiments using his childhood cartoon superheroes and villains.

Mew – Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

Diglet – Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

Oblivion – Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

Disco Bolt Unicorn - Acrylic, Spray, Leather Paint and Grease Pencil on Canvas

Go's works have been exhibited at museums and galleries in the USA, Philippines, and Indonesia, most recently at the Art 1 New Museum in Jakarta and Secret Fresh Gallery in Manila. Go has also exhibited in New York and Atlanta in the USA, and in Manila art festivals including MOCAF 2022, Xavier Art Fest 2023, ISM Art Fair 2023, Arthouse X Search Mindscape Agos, and more. Go has garnered a wide and prestigious collector base from AAPI Hollywood celebrities to noted business families around the world. Go is often commissioned by hedge funds and venture capital firms to design art for their personal collections and office spaces, a strategy that has returned handsomely for artists like Jeff Koons and George Condo. It is apparent that Go has what it takes to become a global superstar, even the next Basquiat, but in the meantime, let us enjoy his artistic vision and transformative messages of hope.