Art Picks is an occasional feature showcasing noteworthy Asian & Asian-American artists and art.

For my first Art Pick, I chose Korean sculptor Ji Yong-ho’s “Mutant Mythos” series. It’s an arresting collection of real and imaginary beasts, all kinetically realized in recycled black tire rubber. Yong-ho has multiple reasons for using tire rubber: he was attracted to its flexibility & organic qualities, to the potential monstrousness of its dark, leathery appearance, and to the environmental message the use of recycled materials sends. Also, the evolution of the tires themselves (from tree sap to tire to sculpture) echoes Yong-ho’s mutation theme.

The collection was first exhibited at Gana Art in New York in 2008, and has since been exhibited around the world. Read more/see more at Ji Yong-ho’s Gana Art site, and at Designboom, Theme Magazine, & Yangshung’s Blog.