If there were a “rebel missionary of joy” in the contemporary art world, it would undoubtedly be Jon Burgerman. He brought graffiti from the streets into the White House, inserted children’s illustrations into Apple iMessage, and even let his “colorful little monsters” take over the giant screens of New York’s Times Square. His works are permanently collected by institutions such as the V&A Museum in London and the Linz State Museum of Culture in Austria, yet he insists on calling himself “a professional doodler.”
如果当代艺术界有一位“反叛的快乐传教士”，那一定是Jon Burgerman（乔恩·伯格曼）。他把涂鸦从街头搬进白宫，从儿童绘本塞进苹果iMessage，甚至让“彩色小怪兽”占领了纽约时代广场的巨屏。他的作品被伦敦V&A博物馆、奥地利林茨州立文化博物馆等永久收藏，却坚持自称“专业乱涂乱画的人”。
童年与成长：艺术种子悄悄萌芽
Childhood and Growth: The Quiet Sprouting of Artistic Seeds
Born in 1979 in Nottingham, UK, Burgerman’s greatest childhood privilege was that his parents allowed him to graffiti on every wall at home. During his early years, cartoons, video games, and all kinds of whimsical ideas became his sources of inspiration. These imaginative characters and scenes quietly planted the seeds of art in his mind.
1979年出生于英国诺丁汉的Burgerman，童年最大的特权是——父母允许他在家里所有墙面涂鸦。童年时期，动画片、电子游戏和各种奇思妙想成为他灵感的源泉，那些充满想象力的角色和场景，在他心中种下了艺术的种子。
He studied art at Nottingham Trent University but refused to become a traditional “painter.” After graduating in 2001, he began creating impromptu works on streets, in bars, and even on pizza boxes, gradually developing his signature “doodle” style.
他在诺丁汉特伦特大学学习艺术，却拒绝成为传统意义上的“画家”。2001年毕业后，他开始在街头、酒吧甚至披萨盒上即兴创作，逐渐形成标志性的“Doodle”（随性涂鸦）风格。
In 2010, he moved to New York, and five years later, he was invited by the White House to hold an exhibition, with Vice President Joe Biden personally expressing his thanks. Humorously, Burgerman responded, “Looks like doodling can get you into high society too.” Who says graffiti can’t enter the halls of prestige?
Art Style: A Perfect Blend of Childlike Wonder and Humor
Jon Burgerman’s works are bursting with vibrant colors—bright yellow, electric blue, peach pink, apple green, vivid orange—often appearing all at once. His characters frequently feature large eyes, exaggerated expressions, and whimsical shapes. There are no sharp lines; every figure has a round, soft silhouette. Their crooked features give them a charming, playful quality, like little sprites that have escaped straight out of a children’s picture book.
2010年，他移居纽约，五年后竟收到白宫邀请举办展览，美国副总统拜登亲自致谢。对此，他幽默地回应：“看来乱涂乱画也能混进上流社会。”谁说涂鸦不能登大雅之堂？
艺术风格：童趣与幽默的完美融合
Jon Burgerman的作品色彩丰富，亮黄、电蓝、桃粉、苹果绿、亮橙……几乎同时出现。作品中的角色常常拥有大大的眼睛、夸张的表情和奇特的造型，没有锋利的线条，所有角色都顶着圆滚滚的脑袋和软乎乎的轮廓，歪歪扭扭的五官自带憨态，像从儿童绘本里逃出来的小精灵。
His creative process is an “improvised performance” where thought and action occur simultaneously. He favors tools like spray paint and oil pastels that can capture inspiration quickly. Colors are no longer separated into distinct blocks; on his canvases, they blend and drip, while characters morph and dissolve in layered compositions, as if everything is in constant flow and growth.
Creative Philosophy: Art Is Life, and Joy Is the Highest Pursuit
For Jon Burgerman, art is not a lofty, untouchable discipline—it flows through every part of daily life. He believes that “art is as necessary as breathing,” serving as a way to express emotions, release stress, and seek joy.
他的创作是一场思考与行动同步的“即兴表演”。他偏爱喷漆、油画棒这类能快速捕捉灵感的工具，颜色不再是分割对立的色块，在画布上，色块交融、滴落，角色在堆叠中变形、消融，仿佛万物都在流动和生长。
创作理念：艺术即生活，快乐是最高追求
对于Jon Burgerman来说，艺术不是高高在上的殿堂艺术，而是流淌于生活的每一处。他认为“艺术就像呼吸一样必要”，它是一种表达情感、释放压力、寻找快乐的方式。
He firmly believes that “fun is my greatest creative drive,” and this relentless pursuit of joy runs through every one of his works. Whether it’s drawing a hot dog body on a small dog outside a café in Brooklyn or inviting passersby on the streets of New York to fill an entire wall together, art is never sacred—it’s a playful game everyone can join.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations: Bringing Art into Every Home
Jon Burgerman’s works and exhibitions can be found all over the world. Beyond the White House, his creations have appeared at the Southbank Centre in London, the Barcelona Contemporary Culture Center, Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin, 798 Art District in Beijing, and the M Contemporary Museum in Seoul, among others.
他坚信“好玩是我最大的创作动力”，这种对快乐的执着追求，贯穿于他的每一幅作品中。无论是在布鲁克林的咖啡馆外给小狗画上热狗身体，还是在纽约的街头邀请路人共同填满一整面墙。艺术从不神圣，它是一场人人都能加入的、好玩的游戏。
跨界合作：让艺术走进千家万户
Jon Burgerman的作品和展览遍布世界各地。除了白宫，还有伦敦南岸中心，巴塞罗那当代文化中心，柏林Neurotitan美术馆，北京798艺术区，首尔M当代博物馆等。
He has collaborated with countless brands, including Apple, Instagram, Snapchat, Samsung, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nike, BBC, Puma, The New York Times, and Italian luxury furniture brand Natuzzi, among others.
与他合作过的品牌多不胜数：苹果、Instagram、Snapchat、三星、百事、可口可乐、耐克、BBC、彪马、纽约时报、意大利奢品家俬Natuzzi等。
The things he designs are wildly diverse: sofas, toilet paper, T-shirts, tattoos, and he even designed a limited-edition airsickness bag for Virgin Airlines—bringing art into everyday life in a fun and accessible way.
His works appear on streets, in shop windows, and on phone screens, adding vibrant color to people’s lives. He has also published several interactive coloring books and picture books, such as Burgerworld and Everybody Worries, encouraging readers to unleash their creativity and express emotions through color.
他参与设计的东西千奇百怪：沙发，卫生纸，T恤，纹身…… 甚至还为维珍航空设计过限量版的呕吐用袋！让艺术以更亲民、更有趣的方式走进大众生活。
他的作品出现在街头巷尾、商场橱窗、手机屏幕中，为人们的生活增添了一抹亮色。他还出版了多本互动式填色书和绘本，如《Burgerworld》《Everybody Worries》等，鼓励读者发挥创意，用色彩表达自己的情感。
社会意义：用艺术传递温暖与希望
Social Impact: Spreading Warmth and Hope Through Art
Jon Burgerman’s works are not just a visual delight—they carry profound social significance. His “I Am the Many” exhibition at the White House used art to advocate for social justice and fairness. During the pandemic, his creation Everybody Worries helped children understand the state of the world and ease anxiety through warm stories and adorable illustrations. Through his art, he conveys a positive outlook on life, showing that no matter the challenges we face, we can meet them with humor and creativity and find our own joy.
Jon Burgerman的作品不仅仅是视觉上的享受，更蕴含着深刻的社会意义。他在白宫举办的“i am the many”展览，以艺术呼唤社会公平正义；疫情期间创作的《Everybody Worries》，则用温暖的故事和可爱的插图，帮助孩子们理解世界的现状，缓解焦虑情绪。他通过艺术传递积极的生活态度，告诉人们：无论生活中遇到什么困难，都可以用幽默和创造力去面对，找到属于自己的快乐。
Art doesn’t require complex techniques—it only needs a
heart that loves life and dares to imagine
. In this era full of pressure and uncertainty, Jon Burgerman’s art shines like a
beam of light
, illuminating the corners of people’s hearts.
Anyone can pick up a brush and become the creator of their own world, because expressing creativity and finding joy is always the most wonderful essence of art.
艺术不需要复杂的技巧，只需要一颗热爱生活、敢于想象的心。在这个充满压力和不确定性的时代，Jon Burgerman的艺术如同一束光，照亮了人们内心的角落。
每个人都可以拾起画笔，成为自己世界的创造者。因为表达创造力和享受乐趣，永远是艺术最美妙的核心。
