In conversation with artist Tatsuro Kiuchi

Illustration by Tatsuro Kiuchi

Tatsuro Kiuchi is a Tokyo-based illustrator, painter and educator. He is one of the most influential illustrators in Japan, having contributed an extraordinary variety to the field and to the visual culture of our time. He creates art that attracts the eye, yet familiar and in total engagement with life and our surroundings; art that trusts the audience to be clear-eyed and capable of enthusiasm. With particular attention to composition, depth, color and light, Tatsuro Kiuchi’s illustrations feel actively, restlessly alive, yet foster a sense of warmth and tranquility.

In our recent interview for Beneficial Shock! magazine, Tatsuro Kiuchi and I talk about the artists he recommends to his students, the biggest challenge of illustrating movie posters and about recently tracing the film memories of his teenage years. You can read the full interview on the Beneficial Shock! website.

“By communicating, I am not talking about concepts, emotions,
and other things that are intangible, but I mean concrete things
that most people can immediately understand what is depicted,
such as flowers, vases, people, dogs, etc.
What you see visually is essential.
No matter how good the concept is, the illustration is not
so successful if it is not interesting for your eyes to look at.”

An illustration by Tatsuro Kiuchi for “Gobangiri”, a film by Kazuya Shiraishi

Instagram: @tatsurokiuchi