THE DOG MAKER — Four&Sons

Four&Sons

Photography

THE DOG MAKER

Thanks to hungry wolves and ancient humans, there are over 350 dog breeds in the world today. Artist Hosung Jang offers more.

s READ MORE
CLOSE

THE DOG MAKER

WORDS BY Olivia Finlayson

Archaeologists estimate that dogs were first domesticated in Siberia around 23,000–40,000 years ago. It’s believed by some (but still debated) that humans and wolves coexisted in the same regions during the Ice Age. Drawn to food and waste discarded by humans, wolves inched closer to camps. A mutually beneficial bond was forged as both hunter and hound made use of each other’s offerings: food, hunting ability and companionship.

Thanks to hungry wolves and ancient humans, there are over 350 dog breeds in the world today. As greedy fervent lovers, 350 just isn’t enough. Thankfully, artist and dog photographer Hosung Jang is mining the depths of his imagination and talent to create new, fanciful species of man’s best friend.

Compiled over 11 years, Jang’s catalogue of dog portraits is 25,000 strong. Viewing the collection with his artist’s eye, Jang saw potential to combine portraits and birth new breeds. Enter Dog Maker.

“Each new dog was created by classifying dogs with the same tone of fur, similar looks, dogs with similar texture of fur etc. Combining more than two dogs was more difficult than I expected,” tells Jang. 

So far, the artist has created 15 ‘new’ dogs, with an ambition to complete the series at 20. To the unsuspecting eye, Jang’s precise work demands a double-take. Each dog looks convincingly real, yet subtly peculiar. Creating each with painstaking attention to detail, Jang describes his method as one of ‘waiting’: “I watch, keep my distance, and wait for the dogs to speak. It’s kind of like a code of conduct that I’ve always had when dealing with animals. When I describe this work, I would say it’s the work looking back on me.”

—
All images courtesy of Hosung Jang
hosungjang.com
@publicanimals

CLOSE
, ,

PACK OF DOGS

Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.

August 25, 2020

JUMP FOR JOY

Photographer Rebecca Rinaldi knows that to capture a dog’s true essence, play is the key ingredient.

July 13, 2023

,

PLAY DATE

An antidote to mass-produced dog accessories, MiaCara’s range of carefully crafted toys are designed to surprise, endure and delight.

July 12, 2023

POODLE ELITE

Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).

May 3, 2023

,

TEAM EFFORT

What started as a fundraising effort to save photographer Kristoffer Paulsen’s beloved dog Josie, morphed into Melbourne’s most in-demand pet portraits.

March 31, 2023

Loading...
Loading more posts...