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VISEone approaches his art, and his life, with a restless desire to learn. As a kid growing up in Germany, he sketched on everything. He taught himself to draw by studying the sketchbooks of his late friend, mentor and collaborator, the cartoonist, Ralph Ferres. He learned to put his characters up on walls under the tutelage of a french graffiti artist. With persistence, trial and error, he practiced digital illustration and learned 3D modeling. While all of this was happening, VISEone somehow found time to teach himself to record, arrange and produce music, becoming an acclaimed DJ in the process. The constant throughout VISEone’s evolution as an artist was his friendship with Ferres. The pair collaborated on two resin figures, Sea Hunter and Sad Dragon. Produced by Patch Together, Sea Hunter (2008) and Sad Dragon (2009) sold out to collectors worldwide. In the spring of 2009, VISEone was chosen as the only German artist to participate in Disney’s Stitch Experiment 626 Art tour. His Cutie Monster custom lead to another project for Disney and was displayed at an art exhibition in Hong Kong. In 2010, his custom and production figures traveled to New York Comic-Con. That same year, VISEone was asked to Qee Bear is a designer toy created by Toy2R, a Hong Kong-based company founded by Raymond Choy. It is part of the Qee (pronounced “key”) series, a line of customizable, anthropomorphic figures that became a major influence in the global designer toy movement. Qee Bears have a rounded head, stubby limbs, and a signature “Q” shaped keychain attachment, allowing them to be used as collectibles or keychains. Like BE@RBRICK, Qee Bears come in DIY (Do-It-Yourself) blank versions, allowing artists and collectors to customize their own designs. Available in multiple sizes, typically 2.5-inch mini Qees, 8-inch medium Qees, and larger collector editions. Toy2R has worked with international designers, brands, and pop culture franchises, including collaborations with Tokidoki, Michael Lau, Adidas, and even Star Wars. Qee Bears were one of the earliest urban vinyl collectibles to gain international recognition in the early 2000s, helping establish the designer toy movement alongside figures like Dunny (Kidrobot) and BE@RBRICK (Medicom Toy). Though they’ve been somewhat overshadowed by newer toy trends, Qee remains an iconic piece of designer toy history.