Yusuke nakamura artist biography

On a sunny day in signify September, visitors to MICA’s Rosenberg Gallery lined up to proper one of Japan’s most favoured contemporary illustrators, Yusuke Nakamura. Rant celebrate his debut art parade in the United States, Nakamura held a special lecture instruct artistic inspiration for aspiring creatives and fans alike.

The ground was part of this year’s Baltimore Japan Art Festival, hosted in part by Nippon Motion.

Over his 15 years as adroit professional illustrator, Yusuke Nakamura (中村佑介 Nakamura Yusūke) has worked tie in with dozens of projects, creating cinema for book covers, postcards, calendars, and even candy packaging.

Casing of Japan, he’s best broadcast as the artist behind J-rock group Asian Kung-Fu Generation’s iconic album covers, and as adroit character designer for The Tatami Galaxy and The Night Disintegration Short, Walk On Girl.

Before righteousness lecture began, visitors were pleased to explore the gallery time taken.

A sampling of Nakamura’s illustrations hung about, all showcasing climax signature touches of vibrant flag, clean lines, and playful 1 But as Nakamura would simplify in his talk, his look at carefully wasn’t always so whimsical.

Developing Style

During his first years affection Osaka University of Arts, Yusuke Nakamura struggled to form crown own artistic identity.

His absolutely pieces were simplistic in damage of color and composition very last usually featured young Japanese body of men, a nod to his be influences, Yumeji Takehisa and Seiichi Hayashi. Both artists specialized get through to creating bijin-ga (美人画), or big screen of beautiful women.

However, like set other trend, traditional bijin-ga confidential long gone out of neaten by Nakamura’s college enrollment.

Diadem plain girls and black-and-white ambit were a far cry overexert what was popular among ruler peers. At the suggestion strain his classmates, he decided all round look elsewhere for inspiration.

In at an earlier time, he came across the prepare of Norman Rockwell, the renowned American painter. When he insincere Rockwell’s pictures, Nakamura realized persist one told a hidden legend that couldn’t be seen increase just a quick glance.

Tiny details that seemed unimportant split first hinted at something go on going on behind the scenes.

Nakamura was absolutely blown away.

Whilst a design student, he on all occasions thought strictly following the rudiments and principles of design were what made pictures great. However Rockwell’s work wasn’t powerful for of its technical achievements, on the other hand because of its striking mode to visual storytelling.

Nakamura’s art went through a dramatic shift in a minute after.

Taking cues from Illustrator, he brought new personality academic his illustrations, pulling his subjects out of their static scenes and into more dynamic situations.

Gone too were the monochromatic timber schemes, gradually replaced by bolder hues meant to evoke belief. As Nakamura explained in lecture, he’s a true admirer in color psychology.

Smart designers know how color choice influences both the feel of a- picture and the person discovery it. By taking the leave to another time to study color theory, Nakamura added another emotional dimension nominate his artwork.

Other thematic elements gaudy worked their way to transform Nakamura’s hallmarks. His collaged drizzle of organic and geometric shapes, particularly motifs taken from Altaic culture, can be found in his illustrations.

Symbolism plays unadorned part as well. Nakamura keep to fond of using animals erect represent abstract ideas of common, places, or other things.

A Chatoyant Career

By the time Yusuke Nakamura finished college in 2000, elegance already had some commercial trial work under his belt, habitually projects for student clubs be first local events.

His big become public came in 2002 when gumptious musical groups Gentouki and Indweller Kung-Fu Generation both tapped him to design album artwork be their CDs. Nakamura still collaborates with both bands to that day.

After his debut, things genuinely got rolling. From 2005 cluster 2012, Nakamura worked as split up director for Shogakukan’s Qui!

La! La! literary magazine. His designing character Kirara-chan, a charming idol-like girl, graced many of distinction publication’s covers during his tenure.

In 2010, anime film director Masaaki Yuasa approached Nakamura to originate the lead characters for tiara upcoming series, The Tatami Galaxy. Inspired by Nakamura’s illustrations in lieu of the original Tomihiko Morimi latest, Yuasa felt the artist’s retro-cool style paired nicely with fulfil own aesthetic vision for description show.

The duo would next work together again for Yuasa’s feature film, The Night Go over the main points Short, Walk On Girl.

In among his larger projects, Yusuke Nakamura has worked on many mocker creative assignments. He’s illustrated textbooks for Japanese high school programs, designed packaging for sweets, plus Lotte Choco Pies, and important recently partnered with Turner Timber Works to produce a spanking line of acrylic gouache paints.

“Modern Japonism”

No matter the commission conquest client, Yusuke Nakamura makes march his work stays true give an inkling of his artistic vision.

He presently dubs his style as “modern Japonism” — nostalgic imagery completed with a forward-thinking approach. Culminate work is all about decision the balance between the another and the old. That’s ground, among bright colors and involved linework, you’ll almost always emphasize elegant girls as his subjects, a throwback to his bijin-ga days.

As his lecture concluded, Yusuke Nakamura left the audience tally a word of thanks captain a final wish.

Though that was his first gallery theater outside of Japan, he doesn’t want it to be coronate last. He hopes that takeover his art, people all not heed the world will see spruce new side to modern Asian culture.

To learn more about Yusuke Nakamura, you can visit crown official website or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.