Jaebum Joo Gives Iconic Artworks 8-bit Makeovers

South Korean pixel fanatic Jaebum Joo has a fixation with the minimalistic 8-bit aesthetic. Though he’s an animation director and graphic designer by day, his free time sways towards creating anything 8-bit, whether it be stamping pixelated acrylic paintings of Johannes Jan Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring or rendering his friends as digital characters. In his latest series, he strips down iconic paintings from artists like Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Andy Warhol, imagining them as retro Game Boy games.

Could this be a subtle nod to the conversation of legitimizing games as art? Regardless, we wonder what kinds of video game characters these stoic portraits would play.

Andy Warhol’s Banana

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

Claude Monet’s Femme à l’ombrelle Tournée vers la Gauche

Johannes Jan Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring

Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait

See more of Joo’s work on the Gallery.

@kfloodwarning