When one thinks of working out and the decor that goes along with that, the mind is bombarded by a barrage of posters that include everything from muscle-tee clad men doing the absolute most to cute cats hanging off a branch showcasing ‘80s endurance. Now artists like the ones found within the confines of Conquest Zone are offering up fitness decor that stands away from the expected and delivers pieces that are as encouraging as they are sleek and cool. We talked to their own Jason and Simon to get some inside details on Conquest Zone.
Kendra: Being as passionate about fitness as you are about art, which came first and when did you decide to marry the two and create Conquest Zone?
Jason: My passion for fitness came from mixed martial arts. After having trained various martial arts such as Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Wing Chun, and Muay Thai. I found myself in love with the art and mental aspect of these combat styles. Art is something that comes later. I was always fascinated by the influence of an image, just like how a photo can tell a story or stimulate a certain emotion. I want to create artworks that inspire actions.
Kendra: What initially drew me to your work were the illustrations. I love how you take these figures that many see as the masculine icons and create these sort of not whimsical, but beautiful pictures of them. Was that the idea behind them or are they just in a style you appreciate?
Jason: Currently, we are no longer making those illustrations due to potential licensing issues. But the idea behind those illustrations was to simulate how a kid would view his or her favorite athlete in their heads, which explains the glowing effects that we used in the illustrations. That was also our first attempt to create something that is inspiring.
Kendra: You also have these inspirational posters that unlike the typical ones that can come across as Classroom Cheesy, look badass and straight out of a Nike ad. What was the inspiration behind those particular pieces?
Jason: I will let Simon answer this since he is the one that made those badass posters.
Simon: Our creative process has to do with everything around us; real situations and daily life events. We think about people who wake up every morning to work out in the park or the gym; people with goals to keep a balance between the body and the mind. The struggles and the mental toughness required to push through challenges that life throw at you. All these elements combine help us to create original artworks that convince something real.
Kendra: I want to talk more about fitness since that plays a huge part in the Conquest Zone realm. I was a fat kid growing up (and still have some extra baggage) and with childhood obesity still causing many issues, how do you feel parents can help their kids, other than making healthier food choices of course?
Simon: Good nutrition from an early age. Parents should try to cook more healthy food than food that just tastes good. They have to teach them what they eat will determine a certain health state at an early stage.
Jason: To create or put kids in an environment that encourages healthy habits will be the best way to go. That way the kid can feel like they made the decision to be healthy instead of it being forced upon them. As to what types of environment, that is up to the parent to decide with their kids since every kid is unique.
Kendra: Now, what can you tell us about your incredible team? How many people are working to make Conquest Zone a reality?
Jason: Simon, is someone who I met online, and we have worked on various projects before. And knowing how good he is at digital design and other types of design work. I hit him up and pitched him the idea of creating designs that inspire action. Instantly, he was down and here we
Are.
As for the rest of the team, it consists of four people who come from various part of the world. We were connected by our interest in both art and sports. Each of us has our own personal struggles that we face each day. We feel like creating these motivational designs also has a therapeutic effect for everyone on the team. Just being surrounded by these designs allows us to rechanneled our focus in times of hardship and uncertainty.
Kendra: We talked about perhaps adding Serena to the illustrations club, but what can the people expect from Conquest Zone as we head into Spring and soon Summer?
Jason: As we head towards the Spring and Summer, we are planning to introduce more motivational posters. So, people can have posters hanged in their rooms or the doorway to motivate them before leaving the house. And hopefully stays with them as they take on the whatever hardship that comes in their way.
Overall, we just want to create artworks that can give people the motivation and the inspiration they need to take action and push forward in times of hardship. Just like how hardship occurs regardless of the season, we too will be creating motivational products despite the season.
