Influencer: Big Men Edition - Don Chooi (Bara Artist) [NSFW]
Through social media platforms such as Deviant Art, Rule 34, Twitter, and Tumblr, gay bear art and artists are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in our media consumption.
A new wave of material will emerge as more attention is drawn to the bara genre, and Don Chooi, through his art brand D. Chooi Doodles, will be the one to help drive the bara medium forward.
We learn about Don Chooi's perspective on the New Zealand Bear Scene, his coming out story, and his passion for art in this conversation with him.
Wow – let’s start off with a really difficult question! I don’t know if I remember a moment when I was aware that I could draw. Ever since I could remember I would hold a pencil and just …’draw’. It was a pleasurable thing for me to do and the process of drawing just felt ‘natural’. But it would be in my early teens when I realized I had a penchant for the arts.
Many of the artists that I am inspired by come mostly from mainstream comic books – such as John Byrne, Arthur Adams, Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri, to name a few. And of course there are the bara artists, such as Jiraiya, Tagame, Fujimoto, Seizoh Ebisubashi – who helped shape my artistic style in the erotic gay genre.
I hadn’t had any formal training to draw although I must confess I took lessons in painting and handling watercolors, acrylic and gauche. Most of my ability to draw came from practice and observing other artists’ work. It was practice, practice and more practice. And of course having a filthy imagination helped! I used to draw my own erotica comic when I was a kid and I was fascinated with the male body and anatomy – and later with a greater focus on the larger body types.
I think it is mostly my desire to share my point of view through an artistic platform; that the work is able to speak and capture my worldview and hopefully someone finds it relatable and relevant. I also like the idea of putting my work out there and get comments and shared – it does inflate my ego somewhat that someone out there actually likes my stuff! Oh the internet is a wonderful thing!
The idea of a larger and girthier man being sexy, sensual and masculine appeals to me greatly. This counters the image that mainstream media portrays a large man, usually in unflattering and unappealing terms. Hence, I find great pleasure in rejecting this notion and to portray the bigger boys in this completely different light that not only celebrate their huskiness and curves, but to also support body positivity. Also visually, the way the bigger body moves and sits really seem very sensual and erotic to me. I also like drawing guys with body hair – there is so much variety out there with the manner of styles and display of facial and body hair. It’s so intriguing and definitely my fetish come to life.
I think my strengths lie in the fact I love to explore techniques and illustrative approaches. I love to try things out to see what it would look like. And that leads to my weakness of not being satisfied with one style. Throughout the years, I do believe that I may have settled with a drawing style that’s pretty recognizable (you may even call it my signature style) but I am never happy with it. And I can’t do proper portraits for sh*t. I am much more of a freestyle artist.
My inspiration comes from a multitude of sources – primarily from interacting with people; online and in person. I also look at images of bears found online. Other artists also drive my inspiration – sometimes it hurts to see such talent and skill out there! I am so envious when I see works from other artists and I often wonder what their life experience are like to be able to produce such beautiful work. Outside of the bear world, I am definitely influenced by comic books and painters – both classical and contemporary.
Not at the moment sadly. I always find excuses to not do any work, or delay a project. I am so focused on my fulltime job of being an educator that I only draw as a distraction and a hobby to past the time (and also to vent my day’s frustration).
Don Chooi Art Gallery
Please note the following disclaimer: (All rights to these photos belongs to Daniel Lima im using these photos for promotional purposes only)
The Erotic Art Book of D.ChooiDoodles
Click The Image Below To Buy His Amazing Book
BLURB Description - Armed with a insatiable passion and zest for the hirsute, D.Chooi has been drawing bears and chubs for nearly a decade. D.Chooi has gained popularity with his rendition of the furry male form throughout the years, and his popularity continues to grow.
From working with bear organizations from all over the globe to sharing his artwork online, D.Chooi’s subject matter – along with his recognizable style and technique – have managed to wow and capture the imagination.
Featuring selected artwork from 2005 till 2012, this book presents D.ChooiDoodles in one collective edition for your viewing pleasure.
Truth be told, I haven’t come out yet. Well… not to my biological family. I wish I had the courage to do so but I do blame my cowardice to the conditions of my upbringing and culture. From where I am from, it is illegal to be gay and I am still absolutely bound to my culture. However, in New Zealand, I am out to my chosen family. The funny story is that I was accidentally outed at work by my date at my work Christmas function way back. After I overcame my initial shock and awkwardness, I was really moved by all the support my colleagues showed me. From that day, I learned to accept myself (slowly) for who I was meant to be. It has taken a few long years to come to a place where I feel safe and proud of who I am. Sadly, this is a part that I cannot share authentically with my biological family.
I think my first experience was when I moved to Auckland, New Zealand and it was a really positive experience. At that time, the gay bears were tied to the Leather BDSM crowd and I was totally immersed in that culture for a while. It was only after a few years, that I began to realize that I was drawn to the bears because of the acceptance and camaraderie. I made friends who made me feel like I was part of a family and it felt right.
There has been so much debate about racialized attitudes within the contemporary bear scene. And I certainly have encountered and lived through some of those experiences. Some of these would be in the form of subtle racist jibes, microaggressions and some, damn outright ‘spit-in-the-face’, ‘holier-than-thou’ attitudes. There have been times where I did not feel safe in the company of some of these bears. I am fortunate that I have friends who see this happening and have called it out. Other bears of color have also found common experiences and have banded together to resist these racist attitudes
Again, the racist viewpoints, the attached stigma and stereotypes of being a non-white, non-euro bear. I truly believe that being a bear is all about attitude. It has nothing to do with the color of your skin, the culture from where you’re from, the language that you speak and the clothes that you wear. At the end of the day, it’s a label, not a religion. In the grand scheme of things, why would anyone be so concerned about who makes a bear. There are so many stuff out in the big bad world that we need to come together to face and fight.
As I mentioned, there is a level of friendliness and warmth that would be difficult to find in any other group. There is an automatic sense of kinship
There are a few distinctions between a kiwi bear and the American bear, namely our sense of comradeship. Because New Zealand is a small, young country (gosh there are only around 4.8 million people in New Zealand), and there aren’t a lot of us gays, let alone bears, around, we tend to stick up for one another. Our smaller community also gives us the opportunity to want to know one another and really focus on forming a brotherhood. We can also be quite coy with our sexual advances. It’s not that we are shy or embarrassed – we kiwis just tend to be more subtle with our intentions.
Chinese culture in itself is a highly complex, nuanced and multi-layered entity. It views homosexuality as taboo and ‘unnatural’ to its foundations of family, community and honor. It is only in recent times – and with the opening of China to Westernized attitudes – that gay culture seem to slowly be recognized and talked about. Chinese gay bears are still figuring out their place in this system – about their identity as individuals and as part of what it means to be culturally Chinese. It is not uncommon to see Chinese gay men married and have a family, while living a closeted gay life. The Chinese gay bear is also fighting the stereotype of being perceived to be the ‘lesser’ of bears. Chinese (or Asian) bears are often associated with effeminicacy. While black and latino men are viewed as hypermasculine and hypersexual, it is the opposite for the Chinese (Asian) bears. They are often viewed as asexual with smooth, slender, pale features and mild mannerisms. We are seeing a surgence in Chinese bear presence in mainstream gay media, and I do believe that the internet and online social platforms are allowing these gay bears to be more visible.
Don Chooi - The Man Behind The Art
Maybe an author, or a storyteller of some kind. And I would love to draw comics. Adult comics. Adult superhero comics. Hahahaha! Also a recognized academic researcher.
Let’s see… I am usually a spontaneous guy and go with the flow but if I have to name the top three, it would be to have unlimited access to the world’s best airline’s international lounges, own and train a African grey parrot, and come out as the ‘gay uncle’ to my nephews and niece.
Being frank, less attitude, be more open-minded and a whole lot of humility.
My tummy! It’s just cuddly and I have definitely worked hard to keep it that way!
That I am not so hard on myself and doubt my own abilities and judgment.
I am definitely introverted in my private time, but my job demands that I be an extrovert. And it’s quite difficult at times to balance and manage those two opposing forces.
I have two scenarios for the perfect day. The first is to find that one book, or a graphic novel that speaks to me in a way that I had not imagined, nor anticipated. A story that will keep me riveted and at the same time, entertained. And with that one book, or graphic novel, I get to spend the entire day just immersed in reading. The second scenario is that I get to be excused from a work day and head to a nice outdoor bar by a body of water with the boyfriend on a warm summer’s day, enjoying refreshing gin and tonics while nonsensical chatting and daydreaming. And the third scenario, have a great, lengthy, unadulterated foursome with people I am able to connect with. Then we would have a simple but fulfilling dinner. And then they leave at just the right time.
Special Thanks
I'd want to thank Don Chooi for taking the time and effort to do this interview with me. I'm ecstatic to have the chance to ask him some questions and learn more about his persona and actual life.
