Born and raised in Los Angeles, David Choe is of Korean descent, an art school dropout, a hustler, a lover, a thief, a gambler, a world traveler, an arteest, and a heartbreaker. Choe traveled to some of the most dangerous places on earth (the Gaza Strip and Congo, Central Africa) before he even hit his 20s, documenting and photographing his journeys in sketchbooks and publishing them in magazines such as Giant Robot and Vice. Choe's first solo show was at a small ice-cream shop on Melrose called Double Rainbow; the exhibition was supposed to run a month but stayed up for two years after his pieces started selling better than the ice cream. In that time, he got fired from his first job and started illustrating children's books. In 1999, Choe put out his self-published, award-winning comic/novella/zine Slow Jams, and in 2002 released his art/photo/travel journal Bruised Fruit. His murals can be found on walls from Los Angeles and the Bay Area to the Middle East and Asia, as well as inside museums, galleries, and houses from coast to coast.

Check out other Flavorpill cover designs this week in NYC, SF, CHI, LDN, and MIAMI.