The Art of Daisukebear

Vietnamese artist Daisukebear paints images that are all at once sexy, striking and adorable. His artwork captures the playful sensuality of big burly men as only a true lover of bears could. Once we discovered his work we were instantly hooked and thought you guys would enjoy it as well. Find out more about Daisukebear bear below.

BWM: Tell us a bit about your background, where you’re from, how you started creating art?

Daisukebear: Hello everyone! Thank you for having me. I am a full-time artist known by the name Daisuke or Daisukebear. My real name is Hoang Nhat and I was born and raised in Vietnam. Since I was a child, I’ve always loved art, but because I lived in a traditional Asian family, it wasn’t until I was 16 that I dared to really draw. And in 2019 I started posting artworks of bears and LGBTQ+ themes on Instagram.

BWM: What is it about bears and chubby men that makes you want to incorporate them into your art?

Daisukebear: At first I was impressed by their appearance. When I was 19 years old, I accidentally watched a web-series called “Where the Bears Are” and I really loved the big, chubby, muscular men in that show! They were funny, charming, and had sweet relationships! As a teenage boy, I wished I would have similar relationships in the future *laughs*. That was the starting point for me to including bears and chubby men in my paintings.

BWM: What initially drew you into the bear community? And what keeps you there?

Daisukebear: I am a very shy and passive person. I have had very few friends since school. When I graduated from high school, I learned to be more outgoing by joining some small groups. There was a group of chubby men looking for friends, and there was a group of amateur artists like me looking for people with the same interests and drawing together. Typically, bear communities in small Southeast Asian countries tend to be sparse and unstable, but there were people in each group who welcomed me and helped me, which made me who I am today. I feel valued through my relationships with them. Personally, I want to continue to inspire new guys to join the community because there may be others like me out there.

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BWM: Are you professionally trained or self-taught? Tell us about that.

Daisukebear: Most of my painting skills were acquired through self-study. I seem to be the kind of person who has no interest in studying at university. I gave up everything and started painting very early, but this is also the reason why my drawing ability is limited, and my improvement is quite slow. Some students have a solid foundation and only need a few months to a year to become a professional artist, but I struggled for several years. To this day, I am still learning and improving my painting skills.

BWM: Who are some of your artistic inspirations?

Daisukebear: After reading the book “Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It”, I started drawing and shaping my style. I am completely impressed and influenced by the drawing style of senior artists like Jiraiya, Seizoh Ebisubashi, Go Fujimoto, Takeshi Matsu,… I like the way they exaggerate the details of the bear men’s bodies. , the sublime and hot scenes in their are hard to find anywhere else. And the stories about adult Asian men facing their sexuality, coming out and facing the losses that the senior authors portray are all great.

BWM: Where can we see/ purchase your work?

BWM: What big projects are you working on? What is coming next?

Daisukebear: This year I want to finish my comic book as soon as possible. I had to put it aside for a long time and hope to finish it soon. I hope to have a place at a bear artist event in a few years or have an exhibition in Thailand if possible.