BE DIFFERENT: A Conversation with BYKXNG
“Art means everything to me.”
A mix of The Weeknd’s Cover Art by BYKNG
BYKXNG’s artwork is honestly indescribable. When I first came across his instagram page 3 months ago, I was awestruck by his beautiful collages splattered with vibrant colors. I was also baffled that he didn’t have more followers. Constantly releasing new work, many of his pieces pay homage to musical artists like Travis Scott, The Weeknd, and A$ap Rocky.
Humble, yet driven, BYKXNG embodies the word hustle. Real name Farhan, KXNG is originally from Pakistan, but now lives in London. When we first met over Facetime, I immediately recognized his love for art and his dedication to his craft. I was also shocked to learn that he was only 18.
Chadwick Boseman by BYKXNG
A$ap Rocky by BYKXNG
How would you describe your art?
I get that question a lot and it’s always difficult to answer. I make handmade art. It’s typically a mix of photoshop and real-life collage. That’s one kind of art I do. I released these Pokémon cards where instead of Pokémon it’s a famous rapper. Those got a lot of attention. I made cards for Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, J. Cole, and Pop Smoke. I’m releasing T-Shirts soon. There’s a whole lot of stuff in the works.
What Inspires you?
Most of my inspiration comes from music. Travis Scott, J. Cole, and Kendrick are some of my favorite artists. Watching them create this crazy stuff and seeing the effort they put in just makes me want to grind harder. Especially Travis, his music is out of this world to me. It’s like his own genre. As far as visual art, one big influence to me is Jean-Michel Basquiat.
How did you get into art?
I would always see artists on Instagram making cool stuff with photoshop, so i tried it out. I was messing around before, but when quarantine started I took it seriously and really started putting in the effort. Now I have more than 5,000 followers and it feels like they came out of nowhere. (Editor’s note: hopefully that number goes up after this interview). Six months ago, I never would have thought I’d come this far
How did you come up with the name BYKXNG?
I used to play Call of Duty with the Kxng gamer tag. That’s how I got my Instagram handle. The By just came from a friend and I thought it looked good! [laughs]
What art means to you.
Art means everything to me. I have this folder where I store endless art I discover. One of my favorite pieces ever is the cover art for Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. George condo made that cover. I’m a huge fan of both of their artwork.
What do your fans and supporters mean to you?
I get a lot of messages every day from people saying I inspire them. It keeps me motivated knowing that I have been able to have that impact. I used to be the guy who would dm other people saying “bro i love your art.” Now the tables have turned.
Is there a Message behind your work?
Be Different.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself doing what I want. I want to work for big artists, get into other forms of art, act, and model. l want to try everything.
Logic by BYKXNG
