“The mouth of the alien ‘Mog’ is elongated horizontally. The reason is that his mouth is full of spinach given to him by his mother every day, which he doesn't want to eat. Mog wishes to become human. He travels throughout space in search of a pearl-colored planet.”

However, the ending of the story is sad. For Mog to become human, all humans must disappear, just as dinosaurs disappeared in the past. The story was recounted to me by the little artist 'Neptune,' the original creator of Mog.
 

▲ Neptune, the 7-year-old artist who created Mog. Photo by Sims GreenIn reality, the origin tale of the alien 'Mog' is quite simple. One day, the little artist (Park Geonu, 7 years old) was in his playroom, exclaiming, "Mom, come here, this is my department store. 'I am the boss,'" he declared, then proceeded to sketch a character with an elongated mouth on the whiteboard with his very small hands. The little boy announced, "This frog monkey’s name is Mog!"

After hearing the little boy's story, his mother said, "Then I will always be by your side and be the light that shines on you.“

Later on, to fulfill her promise to her child, His mother created 'Mog Stars' who could always support her child and became a member of the team.

The little artist, meeting the reporter for the first time, introduced himself as Neptune. When the reporter inquired about why he named the character Mog, the little boy replied, "It's just Mog, so it's Mog," and his eyes widened, as if questioning why the reporter was asking such an obvious question.

▲ Neptune loves space. ‘Space Story’ he made with clay. Courtesy of NeptuneAccording to his parents, Neptune had a passion for drawing from the time he was a very young child in diapers. Initially, his parents thought their child was simply doodling like other kids his age, but as time passed, they began to notice something unique. The parents were deeply impressed by the child's incredible and imaginative drawings.

In reality, his paintings are filled with boundless imagination. For instance, 'a rainbow floating between planets and stars in the universe, or a squid dancing in a happy mood' are concepts that adults find challenging to envision.

▲ The little artist, Park Geonu, 7 years oldThe artist uses all seven colors of the rainbow, and his reason is straightforward. "I can't choose because all the colors are so pretty. All rainbow colors are pretty. I like it when my mom tells me I'm pretty. 'Pretty makes sad things disappear,' he explains. The child believes that the word 'pretty' his mother used to praise him is synonymous with 'rainbow colors.'

Currently, the artist is in first grade at an elementary school in Korea. In April of this year, he took part in a group exhibition held at Hyundai Department Store, centered around the theme 'Hero.' The pieces he contributed included dolls, figures related to 'Mog,' and various paintings on different subjects that he had created up to that point. Notably, he collaborated with several professional artists for this exhibition. Upon hearing the little artist's exciting Mog story, several professional artists joined 'Mog Stars' to collaborate with him.
▲ Neptune participated as an artist in the joint exhibition 'Hero' held at Hyundai Department Store in Yeouido, Seoul in April last year. Courtesy of NeptuneHowever, a somewhat awkward situation arose, and he even sent his mom away to play. When professional artists crafted various works featuring Mog, he remarked, "This is not Mog. Mog has long legs... ." He argued with them. Due to his unexpected critique, professional artists found themselves having to recreate their work to align with the child's perspective. In a way, professional artists surrendered to this kid. One artist who collaborated with Ai reminisced, "I was shocked at first, but the work itself was enjoyable and became a pleasant memory.“

Mom said, "I wanted to share Mog's story with many people. People who heard the story might have just ignored it, but I am always grateful to the artists who brought Mog to life at a child's level," she said.

▲ Mogstars members Kim Tae-gi, Moon Kyung-jin, Seo Jun-kyo talented Korean artists, added their passion to the alien 'Mog Story' created by 7-year-old artist Neptune. [Sims Green SayArt]In fact, the artists of 'Mogstars' who collaborated with the little artist are already well-known celebrities in the field. Hyeyoung Woo, responsible for producing large-scale figures, is active in the fields of theme parks, installation art, and trick art. She is the representative of 'Design Jungle,' which has experience in planning, producing, and directing famous exhibitions at home and abroad. Kim Tae-gi, CEO of '357 Fine Art' and figure artist, created a small figure of Mog. Moon Kyung-jin, CEO of the media group 'Kalos,' who gained attention by showcasing media art at the Saatchi Gallery and was in charge of SM Leader Film, handled the story video production. Director and creative director Seo Jun-kyo, who directed Virtual Daon for the 2021 National Science Museum Artificial Intelligence Art Special Exhibition and was invited to the short film section of the Jeonju International Film Festival, also participated in video production.

Additionally, his mother, who is his eternal friend, was in charge of creating Mog's character doll. What is especially noteworthy is that they all created their works at their own expense. They practiced 'of the Neptune, by the Neptune, for the Neptune' based on the character of a little artist, excluding any commercial purpose. The 'shining star' that his mother had promised to the little artist on the day Mog was born has now begun to shine on him as several stars called 'Mog Stars.'

▲ Artist Neptune as a baby, Courtesy of NeptuneThe artist is the most precious jewel of his parents, who became a married couple after 12 years of dating. His Parents say they value their child so much that it wouldn't hurt to put the him in their own eyes.

But in fact, when the child was born, he came into the world with a small hole in his heart. His parents remembered that each day of this sick child was as precious as a heartbeat. One day, this child started drawing doodle-like drawings, and their parents took notice of the child's behavior. His mother, a designer, always provided the child with an abundance of drawing materials. As time passed, the child's scribbles gradually began to form drawings of his own. His mother was an expert in art, but she never taught him child anything. His mother simply supported and blessed her child so that he could draw according to his own ideas. This is why, until recently, her child misunderstood his mother as someone who was not good at drawing. His mother actually kept her skills secret because she was worried that if her child found out that she was good at drawing, he would lose interest. Instead, her mother focused on being a precious friend who was always by the child's side, chiming in with the child's stories and listening to the child's seemingly never-ending story until the end. His father, who worked at a German airline, was no different from his mother. Father couldn't come home often, but Father was his best friend whenever he was home.

▲ 7-year-old artist Neptune And Mog. Sims GreenThe parents gradually gathered the artwork created by their child without any specific plans for its use. They simply wanted to document their child's growth process. One parent reflected, "Looking at my child's drawings or hearing their stories made all the difficult things seem to disappear."

The parents openly shared their concerns with others about their child, who had recently become busy as an artist. They emphasized that they didn't want others to misconstrue the professional artists collaborating with their child as exploiting the child for commercial gain. Instead, these artists were seen as benefactors sincerely contributing to the child's artistic development.

Neptune clearly possesses a unique artistic sensibility. Children have a special ability to perceive objects, express them in various colors, and possess a remarkable talent for turning these elements into captivating stories. Creating such artistic genius in children is challenging through conventional education methods.

▲ Artist Neptune as a baby, Courtesy of NeptuneNormally, children may briefly exhibit exceptional genius during childhood, but this often diminishes over time, possibly due to strict educational systems, especially in places like Korea with rigorous exam-focused education. However, Neptune's case differs. His parents opted for an unconventional education approach compared to other Korean parents, and this approach solidified Neptune's artistic genius. Their teaching method involves stepping back from the child and providing silent support without interference. The focus is not on "what will the child become" but on "how can the child be happy?"

When asked about his future aspirations, Neptune expressed a desire to continue drawing until he's over 100. Despite being smaller and lighter than other children his age, Neptune exudes strength and passion when discussing art.

Lately, Neptune has been frequently drawing the Avengers. His parents acknowledge that he might eventually shift interests and find something else he enjoys more, like becoming a soccer player. The key, they emphasize, is that as the child grows, they also grow. The child's happiness remains the top priority. The parents hope these beautiful memories will be cherished by their child as a precious gift when they eventually face a world without their parents.

Neptune's recent focus on drawing the Avengers may be connected to the 'Mog Stars' that always shine for him.

Even today, The little artist, Neptune is moving back and forth between the living room and his small room, drawing, and is dancing a happy rainbow dance like a happy squid.

Sayart / Jason Yim, yimjongho1969@gmail.com