Toy figures are particularly hot among so-called “kidults,” grownups still interested in activities considered suitable for children. But the job of designing and making these figures is so intricate and difficult that only a handful of figure designers exist around the globe. And one of the widely recognized figure artists lives right here in Korea. He’s Lee Chan-woo, nicknamed Coolrain.



His career in figure art started 13 years ago, when the world, let alone Korea, was unfamiliar with this branch of art. After working in the field for more than a decade, Coolrain Lee Chan-woo now heads several collaborative projects with the National Basketball Association and world-famous sports brands like Nike.



What separates him from other figure designers is his generosity with trade secrets. His blog where he shares his figure-making know-how is quite famous among art figure fans in Korea as well as in the world. Coolrain Lee Chan-woo cannot be any happier making objects and people he loved with his hands and having people enjoy his works. He also dreams of making an animation film with the figures he made.