Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimizu

Award winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City and instructor at School of Visual Arts.

Some Updates On FAQ Section

It is summer and students graduate, and I have been getting so many inquiries on US work visa stuff! But you know what? I had a visa long time ago, therefore my experiences are not so relevant….

Having said that, I just added visa section on my FAQ, only something universal I can share with everyone. So, if you are one of those recent graduate with student visa status or just being curious, maybe you want to check this out…

No, I Was Not At ComiCon…

More than a few people had asked me if I was at ComiCon which happened this weekend in San Diego, no, I wasn’t there. (My editor was.) I was in LA last weekend for ICON 6.It really took me one full week to recover from the marathon travel. I even caught cold! Who catches cold in July?? And I seldom get sick.

Here is some photos of what I did last week (despite my not feeling great). The Unwritten, which wad nominated for multiple Eisner Awards this year, is already proceeding to issue #19 on my cover schedule. I just finished this, so my editor can see it when he comes back from ComiCon.

And, here are some photos during my talk at ICON 6 with partner-speaker Fernanda Cohen, who was also the vice chair of ICON board. We each talked about self-promotion. Thank you for the full house audience! (oh, and I was in love with that cute pug!)

Thank You Mexico, Thank You LA. I Am Now Back To My Studio In New York.

It felt like I was constantly on the way to places. New York to Mexico City to Xalapa to Mexico City again to Los Angeles, then finally back to New York in one trip during 10 days. I am not jet lagged, but it sure feels that way… Today is my first day back in the studio and I am completely out of it. Important work stuff has to wait till tomorrow to get started. (Thank you for your kind understanding, dear clients!)Thank you everyone who came to the workshop and/or exhibition opening at Amarillo Centro de Diseño in Xalapa, Mexico. The show is up till September 3, so please please go stop by and say hi to all the nice and friendly Amarillo people (+ a doggie).Also, thank you everyone who came and/or organized ICON 6 (Illustration Conference) in Los Angeles. It was a quick 24 hour stopover, but hope my talk was at least useful in some way.

I will make a blog post about Mexico within the next few days, but for now here are some photos from the show and the workshop. (and see cool guerilla posting of my fake lucha libre posters on the top page.)

YUKO SHIMIZU STUDIO IS CURRENTLY CLOSED

I am away to Xalapa, Mexico to teach a workshop whole next week (please see the post on July 1) and a show opening, then fly directly to LA to ICON Illustration Conference to speak on the last day. I am back to my studio on July 20th.

Till then, stay cool (ah, thank god the heat wave is gone for now in NY!) and enjoy your summer.

Xalapa, Mexico Amarillo Centro de Diseño Illustration Workshop And Show

Right after July 4th weekend is over, I am heading back to Xalapa, Mexico for illustration workshop hosted by Amarillo Centro de Diseño (Amarillo Design Center).I had a lecture and show there in March 2009, which was a wonderful experience. They are inviting me back again this time to their brand-new space for 4 day intensive illustration workshop from July 12th to 15th. I have posted this show and workshop on my blog.  And, I am really excited to have my birthday in Mexico. This year’s birthday party is the opening party for the show!I just finished making this invitation poster which Amarillo people are silk screening in large format. (If you visit Amarillo store, you can purchase this poster while supplies last). For those who cannot visit Amarillo, we made the poster into computer wallpaper for fun, and giving it away free for the limited time.

Wallpaper size: 1440 x 900 fits perfectly to your MacBookPro. Please adjust if you have PC or screens in different sizes.

¡¡Queridos amigos en México, esperando a ver en menos de dos semanas , ya sea en la exposición o en el taller!!

And, last but not least…. this workshop is intended for Mexican illustrators only, but if you are interested in attending a summer workshop with me, I have another one coming up in Venice, Italy, which is open to participants of all nationalities. Please see the post of June 24th for more details.

Venice Illustration Workshop Date Change!

We have decided to change the date because the original date fell on the peak tourist season which may cost a lot more for the participants to travel. And, we announced it late this year, which doesn’t give participants enough time to arrange the travel. Besides, the hottest season of Venice may be done by then (well, hopefully), and maybe my favorite enoteca is back open because Italian vacation season is over. (I always go there at least once for lunch with my students.) Also, for Americans, you can take advantage of the long Labor Day Weekend in Italy.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS YEAR’S WORKSHOP IS CANCELED – It’s Official!!: Come To Venice Illustration Course 2010

I am really excited to announce that illustration workshop in Venice, Italy is officially coming back this summer!It is a six day long workshop for illustrators and aspiring-to-be in any level, takes place in Venice, Italy. Yes, one of the most beautiful and magical cities in the world! And last two years I had been teaching, I just had a complete BLAST. So much fun.The Course is limited to about 15 students. I teach, advise and guide each student according to your level, interest and personality. It is a workshop with specific assignment(s), but there is also a lot of one-on-one personal advising.

I met some wonderful people over the past two years, but what was even better was that a lot of the students found friendship that would most probably last for a long time.

If you are interested, please read the details on the organizer Teatrio’s website and contact them for enrollment and questions.

You can also learn about last year’s workshop, and see the students’ fantastic works and photos on my blog. There are some comments from the happy students, so please check that out as well.

I hope to have another memorable summer, with you!, in this beautiful historic city.

MOBY For Illustration Magazine Japan

The highlight of past week: interviewing musician MOBY to write an article in イラストレーション,a well respected illustration magazine published in Japan. I have been a regular contributing writer for more than a year now.I normally interview illustrators (you can read about past interviews on my blog here), but after my studio mate and Moby’s former art collective member Sara Varonand I saw him speak at WNYC last month and learned about his passion for art, comics and illustrations, we came up with an idea of interviewing him from a visual art point of view.I have a huge respect in him. All I could think of while I was there was to not do or say anything stupid. He was VERY nice and had some great stories to tell. The article, along with features of three of his former artist collective members (Sara Varon, James Kochalka and Alex Eben Meyer) will come out as a big feature in イラストレーション at the end of July. I am currently working on editing the story.

Photo by David Neff.

New Book On Your Summer Reading List

I just received a sample copy of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s The Beautiful and The Grotesquein mail from publisher WW Norton. I have contributed to this book with wrap-around cover as well as six black and white interior drawings.Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) was one of the most celebrated writers Japan has ever had. Many of you may know his work, Rashomon, through a world famous film by Akira Kurosawa. This book includes some of less known, but just as powerful, short stories by the author.The book is not out yet, but will be out sometime over the summer. Please add this to your summer reading list: ISBN 978-0-87140-192-2

One of the best things about working on this project (other than that I drew a cover for Akutagawa!) was that I was able to work with one of the most talented contemporary book designers: Rodrigo Corral, whom I have been a big fan of for a while. Also, big thank you to nice and sweet Albert Tang, my art director from WW Norton.

This cover has won Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators this year. For those who are interested, you can read more about it here.

Summer (+ Fall) Event Schedule

First of all, I have updated SHOWS & EVENTS section and added some upcoming summer and fall event schedule.

If you are interested in joining a workshop in Xalapa, Mexico or in Venice, Italy, or come join hundreds of other illustrators for Illustration Conference in LA, or maybe waiti for a comic con in England in October, all the organizer links are all up! So, come join me at one of those events? That would be fun 🙂

I have to apologize again that last two to three months were so busy and everything feels like a big blur to me…., so I have missed posting some fun events that’s already ended, like Heiti relief charity show in Baltimore and my debut in Bogota, Colombia in an illustration exhibit. But I will back post those past events and links there too.

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