Foos for Thought

Listen to This Article

Mythical lion-like creatures revered for their strength and loyalty, foo (or fu) dogs have been celebrated among Asian cultures for nearly 2,000 years. Jonathan Yu ’18, MSMA ’19 is turning these ancient symbols to a fresh new purpose.    

“I want to help modernize Asian art and promote cultural inclusivity,” says the alumnus, who lives in Los Angeles and has adopted the professional name Johnny Haiki.  

Through his “We are the FOOS” project, Yu honors and shares his heritage with diverse audiences. He uses Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers, to offer foo-inspired art as NFTs: digital assets authenticated via blockchain technology that can be bought, sold and traded. Buyers can join Yu in developing storylines for the characters in his artwork. 

Yu’s inspiration stems from his first weeks at Bentley. Exploring Boston, he came upon the two giant foo dog statues that flank the entrance to Chinatown.  

“I instantly felt a sense of comfort,” says Yu, who was born in Taiwan and raised in the Philippines. “As soon as I got back to my dorm, I began sketching my own foos. I wanted to replicate that sense of home and create something tangible I could take with me.”    

Today, the alumnus also produces electronic/house/hip-hop music with fellow members of the LA-based trio Torsades and creates paintings that have found homes with NBA player Andre Drummond, Grammy-winning musician Post Malone and other notables. And that’s all while working full time as a business analyst for a marketing technology firm.   

“I need something to exercise the analytical part of my brain,” he says, adding that the job’s focus on marketing trends helps him “think strategically about ways to monetize my art.”  

Yu hopes that his artwork, like foo dogs, can be a conduit for goodwill and harmony. “At the end of the day, you need to build a community, you need to be connected to people. You need to take time to understand other people’s stories.”