access our portfolios by our names…
Memenchi
"Achingly" and "beautiful" are two words we might use to describe Memenchi`s work. Bijinga - paintings of beautiful people - meets Japanese pop art, with levels of refinement entirely of her own creation. Sometimes it`s just best to let the artwork do the talking.
Wow.
BerryVerrine’s exhilarating creations combine vivid, intoxicating urban environments with intensely colourful and powerful portraiture. His manga/anime inspired illustrations see dark shades and searing neons and lights detonating from that explosive palette all over his slightly dystopian, futuristic cityscapes, where a touch of retrowave and city pop meet Akira-style cyberpunk and psychedelia.
The quality of the textures, the linework and the colouring of Kenji Iwasaki elevate his work to the very top of its space, the modern take on traditional ukiyo-e. Getting the right balance of authenticity, modernity, gravity and humour makes this a tough school, but one at which we feel Kenji is top of the class.
The elaborate graphics of Marumiyan are awash with dynamism and motion, Japanese motifs flowing from his pen in an almost 60`s Art Nouveau aesthetic. The worlds of tech and nature collide on his canvas, leaving vapour trails of colour and energy in their wake.
Tribal tattoo art Japanese-style...Pinkie Junkie summons all manner of creatures - real, imagined, mythological, and symbolic - to star in her beautifully textured and coloured designs. Japanese mythology, nature, even video game characters...brought to life for your viewing pleasure through her intensely unique filter.
Thousands of years of Japanese culture distilled and rendered through the medium of pixel/emoji illustration and animation...look at the colours and the characters leap out from the surface, then look again at the layers of symbol and meaning that lie below...
Japanese dark fantasy is the subject of Karasuba Rindo`s art: yokais, demons, vampires and the spirits of the Japanese night come out to play amongst the shadows and light of his worlds. There is no horror or gore in his manga-influenced illustrations; rather, a haunting, mysterious aura that permeates the slightly dissonant, disorienting scenes he creates.
As adept with the delicate brushstrokes of traditional gongbi as she is with the vivid pigments of the ukiyo-e woodblock, feebee draws on the mythical creatures, legends, yokai and characters of Japanese history to create philosophical elements and symbolic metaphors that transcend geographical and temporal boundaries, providing meditations that connect our present to the past, and to our future.
The bold shadows, rich details and inventive panelling of Akira Kano`s manga provide the perfect expression of his gift for narrative, and ability to navigate the transitions of mood and tone his craft requires. Technical ability alone is not enough to make a true mangaka; the ability to tell a story and elevate it to its full potential is another must.
Employing the mineral pigments and silk canvases of the Chinese landscape paintings of old, Shoichi brings the traditions firmly into the 21st century and beyond with his blends of natural, floral elements, modern subjects, and man-made instruments of movement. To say each piece contains a myriad of wonderful details in the background is to assume there is is indeed a “background”; through the use of multiple perspectives and scenes, a host of ethereal worlds appear to float around and within each other, drawing the eye to every inch of his compositions, and back again.
As a collective of three - APO+, Motocross Saito, and Setamo - Ultimate Pixel Crew are leading the charge in modern pixel art; combining their retro gaming graphics with a variety of wistful and evocative scenes, they celebrate a calm-in-the-chaos aesthetic that encapsulates the dichotomies of life not only in urban Japan but also the ever more digitised life that we`re all headed for.
Taiwanese illustrator and long-time Tokyo resident, Chiyun Yeh (Yo)’s illustrations are rich in imagery and allusion. Whether deploying her signature bicolour ballpen or a more conventional style, the sense of balance in her work is a theme that has underpinned Japanese art since its inception.
Did someone say "sticker art"?
We never imagined that in the hyper-digital age one of the best ways to capture the light and the vibrancy of the Tokyo night would be through circle stickers, but Yukino Ohmura`s urban vistas bring the city to life, using a seemingly facile material to create a truly innovative effect.
