Animator DeeKay Kwon's work lives in the details: the flick of a character's wrist, the bounce of a pixel-perfect motion, and the soft texture of a street scene in pink and orange light. His animations, while brief, are anything but simple, each frame is hand-tuned for rhythm, balance, and - perhaps most importantly - emotional expression.
Born in South Korea and now residing in California, DeeKay infuses exquisite technique with human resonance in every frame. With over a decade of experience in motion design at Google and Apple, DeeKay stepped into the digital art world, telling his own stories in his own words. His style, heavily influenced by retro video games and clean compositions, has become one of the most recognizable in the Web3 space.
In late 2024, DeeKay shared a personal blog post about creative burnout and loss of motivation, 'No energy, no desire to create, no motivation, nothing,' he wrote. This vulnerability made his return even more powerful. In May 2025, his latest work (Day and Night) shined on the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Soon after, he was recognized at the inaugural Digital Art Awards in London and received a $10,000 commission to create an animated looping work (Hands of Time), a quiet and powerful meditation on the passage of time, which Christie's auctioned off in May 2024.
Next, we talked to DeeKay about how it all started, what keeps him creating, and how he publicly shares his personal stories through art.
OpenSea: What initially drew you to the world of animation? How did you later get into the NFT space?
DeeKay: Animation, for me, was like magic from the beginning, the idea of giving life to still things was very shocking. It allows me to express emotions that language cannot express. My career started in motion design, working for large companies like Apple and Google, accumulating a wealth of experience, but deep down, I always felt a creative emptiness.
So, even while busy with client work, I have been creating personal works. This is my way of staying connected to what I love. When NFTs appeared, these personal works were able to be shared and collected as art for the first time. It gave my animation work a home beyond the internet. This shift changed everything for me.
OpenSea: Can you share a bit about your practice? What tools and platforms do you use?
DeeKay: My usual tools are After Effects and Illustrator, and sometimes I use 3D tools depending on the needs of the work. My creative process is very hands-on; I pay close attention to timing, atmosphere, and creating vibrant works, so I keep my workflow focused.
As for platforms, I have minted on SuperRare, Foundation, and Manifold, and I have also curated at Christie's and Sotheby's. I am not loyal to any one platform; for me, the most important thing is whether the platform supports the art and the artist behind it.
OpenSea: When working in such different environments, commissions, and institutions, what makes you feel most seen and supported as an artist?
DeeKay: I feel the most supported when people trust my vision and give me the freedom to create, whether it's for a brand, platform, or collector, that freedom is everything.
OpenSea: What is your usual starting point - an idea, an algorithm, a visual concept?
DeeKay: Everything always starts with a feeling, which may come from a memory, a question I ask myself, or even a moment I want to preserve. I usually write down the idea or draw some small sketches and then start animating, looking for the rhythm. For me, timing is crucial; it inspires emotion.
I don't really let the technical aspects dominate everything; feeling comes first, and everything else follows.
OpenSea: The animated (Hands of Time) you released in 2024 beautifully condenses the emotional ups and downs of life into simple looping snippets. A year later, you won the Digital Art Award. What did that teach you, or rather, what did it make you more convinced that moving image storytelling can express?
DeeKay: 'Hands of Time' is a very personal piece for me; I wasn't deliberately pursuing anything, just trying to capture the emotional rhythm of life, capturing how it slips away from us in a beautiful or heartbreaking moment, but most importantly, I wanted to express that life moves too fast, and we don't let ourselves truly feel it.
Winning the award made me realize that when something comes from a real place, people feel it, and it proves once again that digital animation, especially looping animation, can be as emotional and timeless as any painting or sculpture. The loop itself conveys the message that life never stops, it just keeps going in circles, which is why I love this form and keep coming back to it.
OpenSea: Your recent 'Day and Night' animation on the Las Vegas Sphere captures two distinctly different moods. What was the process like to design for such a massive public space?
DeeKay: Designing for the Sphere was a completely new challenge; I had to think about what the piece would feel like in the real world, presented on such a massive scale. I wanted to create a simple yet emotionally resonant piece that everyone passing by could connect with.
OpenSea: Back in March, your piece (Hwatu Harmony), which you exhibited at Art Basel Hong Kong, was a 30-second animation about a traditional Korean card game played in your family. You've said that this piece helped bridge the generation gap between you and your parents. Why did you feel this story was suitable to bring to Art Basel?
DeeKay: During difficult times, I temporarily put aside work and spend time with my family. We play (Hwatu) every day, and despite the generation gap, it connects us through laughter and emotion. This game also has a strong Asian visual aesthetic, and I think it resonates with many people because it looks so beautiful.
OpenSea: 'Hwatu Harmony' also marks your first time using an NFC chip to combine a physical print with a digital work. How does it feel to see people interacting with your artwork in real life? Do you think there will be more of this fusion direction in the future?
DeeKay: The feeling of seeing people physically interacting with the work is really special; it makes the work feel more alive and grounded. I'm really looking forward to exploring more of this mixed creation direction in the future.
OpenSea: You've been candid about creative burnout and the emotional toll that work can take. Now that you're back to a more public creative cadence, how are you protecting your energy differently? How has your relationship to artistic creation changed?
DeeKay: I have now learned to be more careful in scheduling my time and energy. Not everything needs to be shared immediately. My relationship with art is no longer about chasing the next goal but more about creating consciously.
OpenSea: Motion artists are starting to gain more and more attention in the art world. What do you think has helped change this perception? What areas do you think still need improvement?
DeeKay: The world is slowly recognizing that motion art is art, but we still need more spaces, collectors, and institutions that can recognize that motion art is more than just a novelty or trend.
OpenSea: You've said 'art belongs to everyone.' How do you balance that belief with the exclusivity of 1/1s and high-value drops?
DeeKay: When I say 'art belongs to everyone,' I'm referring to the experience of art itself, not the exclusivity of high-priced works. For me, it's a simple but philosophical belief: art should be felt, not explained. The most sincere reaction happens in seconds, without anyone telling you how to feel, you don't need to be taught how to appreciate it. Art should transcend background, culture, or education - it belongs to everyone.
OpenSea: How do you know when a piece is finished? Do you constantly revise or tweak works, or is there a clear stopping point?
DeeKay: I make a lot of adjustments, sometimes even over-adjusting. I will repeatedly modify dozens of versions, just to find the right rhythm or color, but in the end, there is always a moment when the work can express what I want to express.
I don't believe in perfection, but I've learned to accept the little imperfections that give a work its personality. When I look at it and still feel a little touched - I know it's finished.
OpenSea: What inspires you now? Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
DeeKay: I draw creativity from calmness, which is not easy to find, especially with so many schedules and deadlines, but I have been staying focused, trying to stay balanced, even doing nothing is meaningful, that tranquility often inspires my creativity. As I get older, I used to think happiness was everything, but I slowly realized that calmness is what really matters.
OpenSea content you care about
Browse | Create | Buy | Sell | Auction
Collection follow OpenSea Binance Channel
Stay up to date
