Broly Su: Make Art Out of Love
Graphic Designer & Illustrator
by Elizabeth Lavis
|02 Apr 2025
As the official Assistant Professor of Art and unofficial Illustrator with Street Wisdom at Kennesaw State University, Broly Su has an impressive client roster, including Adult Swim, Tesla, Lexus, and McDonalds. He also has a straightforward bit of advice for aspiring designers. “Follow your passion,” Su says. “Your work should be distinctive because you, as an individual, bring your unique presence to the world. When you create from the heart for your fulfillment, others can sense the authenticity. It may be a niche experience, but viewers can always discern the true intentions in your creation.” He also references the best piece of advice that he has ever heard: make art out of love.
Su’s design journey has always been intertwined with another creative form: music. “Music has played a significant role in shaping my life and creative journey,” he says. “When I first discovered Kanye West’s music at the age of 13, it marked the beginning of a profound influence from genres like hip-hop, neo-soul, R&B, and house music on my creative process. I find myself drawing inspiration from song lyrics, often visualizing them through my interpretations.”
Su grew up in China, where hip-hop music, graffiti art, sneakers, tattoo culture, and collectible toys heavily shaped his artistic path. “These formative experiences ignited a profound passion for creative self-expression, which continues to be a driving force in my artistic endeavors to this day.” While he originally dreamt of being a taxi driver to have the freedom to see the world, his parents enrolled him in drawing classes at three years old, honing his creative talents from an extremely young age.
"Atlanta Walk-Thru", Zilong Su
“As I continued my art studies, I ventured into designing a board game during elementary school. Essentially, it was a pet simulation game somewhat similar to today’s Sims,” Su says. “I meticulously drew every aspect of the game on paper. During each class break, my fellow students would come to me to check on their virtual pets, ensuring they were well-fed, watered, taken to amusement parks, and equipped with additional clothes and snacks. During this time, I realized my deep passion for design.”
Su still starts his design process the way he did in elementary school; by putting pencil to paper. “Each project typically begins with a series of sketches, and we choose the one that resonates best. Once we’ve made our selection, we proceed to the linework and coloring stages.” Su keeps his clients continuously looped in during and after the design process. “My clients often stay engaged with the day-to-day work, and after the project is done, we connect on social media platforms,” he says. “They tend to follow my latest work, leaving comments and sharing my new posts, which creates a strong sense of ongoing collaboration and appreciation.”
Through top-notch service and prompt communication, Su is able to reach a profound level of trust and rapport with his clients, which helps make each project a collaborative, creative, and successful endeavor.
Su aims to enhance his client base over the next five years by designing artwork for clients like Nike, Red Bull, Vans, and Spotify. He also wants to broaden his creative lens by learning the arts of tattooing and DJing.
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