Japanese Illustrators in NY Cre8

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Straight from the Illustration Inbox…

JAPANESE ILLUSTRATORS IN NY Cre8-Vol. 5
NY Coo Gallery
July 9th-July 26th, 2008
Opening Reception : July 11th, 5:00PM-7:30PM

“JAPANESE ILLUSTRATORS IN NY Cre8-vol.5” is the fifth installment of group exhibition presented by Cre8 (pronounced “create”), the Japanese artist management agency established in 1972. The company, which represents over 300 illustrators, acts as a bridge that spans artists and businesses.

In Japan, illustrations can be found in every printed medium – from advertisement and magazines to newspapers and even textbooks. As a result, there is an abundance of work opportunities for illustrators including freelancers.

Illustrations were originally conceived as ways to literally ‘illustrate’ complex matters, ideas and information to make them easier to understand, or see. With advancement of computer graphics and new creative materials, as well as growing popularity of anime and manga, the importance of illustrations as communication medium has increased dramatically in recent years. Today, illustrations, with a seemingly endless array of available creative possibilities, have become the centerpiece of Japanese media culture.

13 Featured Artists in This Year’s Cre8 Exhibition

  1. Kumi Kato – Deeply influenced by Norman Rockwell, Kumi recreates the world that resonates with the sense of reminiscence and sentimentalism deep within our heart.
  2. Hiromaro – A student of Ukiyo-e, Hiromaro pursues traditional forms of Japanese art using her own inventive creative methods.
  3. Hitomi Nikaido – With warmth and peacefulness that characterize her works, Ms. Nikaido takes viewers back to the days of picture books.
  4. Kazunori Kanoh – Using hemp cloth and clay as main materials, Mr. Kanoh emphasizes the perceived presence and physical value of three-dimensional objects.
  5. Mitsue Yasuda – Known for novel illustrations, Ms. Yasuda works with superb sense of composition and colors to cross over representational and abstract arts.
  6. Ponta – A successful illustrator in demand in Japan, Ponta, through his digitally printed anime-like characters on rice paper, expresses the influences of anime and manga cultures in today’s Japanese art.
  7. Yukitoshi Fukagawa – Fully utilizing his kiri-e (cut-paper art) techniques, Mr. Fukagawa brings us unique, powerful images.
  8. Yutaka Nakagaki – Once a comic strip artist, Mr. Nakagaki uses an uncanny ability to capture and reproduce details and physical identities of his subjects.
  9. Satomi Ichikawa – Studied industrial design in school, Ms. Ichikawa combines playful composition – especially angles – and pleasant colors in her illustrations.
  10. Yoshie Miya – Studied product design and picture book illustrations in England, Ms. Miya’s works feature highly articulate design elements.
  11. Kanako Soya – Dreams and imaginations are beautifully captured in rich colors.
  12. Keiko Kitahara – Being a woman living in today’s society, Ms. Kitahara through her works reflects the world as she sees it.
  13. Hana Asami – Working fulltime in advertisement industry, Ms. Asami finds time to tackle environment issues through her activities as an artist.

We hope you can stop by to catch glimpses of new ideas by a talented group of illustrators who represent the latest trend in modern Japanese art and illustration.