It's a dog's life for 'bull terrier' artist

Bull terrier is a major source of inspiration for Korean artist Lee Seung-koo, who holds a show in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Korean artist Lee Seung-koo sees himself as a bull terrier.

He feels he can relate to the breed, which isn't considered adorable yet is clever, brave and loyal.

The artist has been infatuated with the species since he first encountered the dogs during a nighttime stroll along the Seine River.

"Homeless people were gambling over dogfights under a bridge," the 43-year-old recalls.

"I was impressed by the dogs' two faces－affectionate family pet and fierce fighter."

This inspired him to make the creature his installations' subject. He portrayed the canines with human teeth and facial expressions.

The Beijing-based artist gave these creatures his childhood nickname Ddinggu, which is a wordplay off his given name.

Dozens of ddinggu are displayed at Lee's ongoing solo exhibition at Parkview Green Art gallery. Each appears above Chinese captions written in chalk.

The caption beneath a dog lying on its back reads: "Honey, I'm (not) drunk!"

One for a puppy standing on an adult's back reads: "Dad, where are we going"－a reference to the eponymous Chinese reality TV show.

Lee explains the ddinggu represent his experiences "roaming" through South Korea, Germany and China.

After graduating with a degree in sculpting from Seoul's Chung-Ang University, he continued studying art in Germany, starting in 2003. There, he met his wife. The couple moved to her native Beijing seven years ago.

"I'm a Korean living in China. I talk to my wife mostly in German. I haven't been truly integrated into the local community in either Germany or China," he says.