Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimizu

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

Thank you, ARTECHOUSE Hanami exhibit has officially closed

Thank you SO much to everyone who has visited Artechouse Washington DC’s HANAMI: Beyond the Blooms exhibit I collaborated with them.
Its initial exhibit schedule was from mid-March to April. But they had to shut down the venue after the opening weekend.
They were able to open on July 9th, with the original schedule of closing in early September. By popular demand, it was extended till October 4.
Thank you so much again.
see more photos of HANAMI here.

workshop in Bogotá, Colombia in October

UPDATE (Sept.7): The workshop is now sold out. Thank you and see you in October.

Just announced! I will be coming back to Bogota, Colombia for an illustration workshop. October 18-20, 2018. the event is organized by Los Andes University’s new Japan Center. The course is limited to 18 participants, first come first served bases. Registration is now open with early bird special rate. Hope to see you there. More information and register here. 

There will also be outdoor exhibit starting September on the university campus. (For more details, please see the image)

Voy a volver a Bogotá, Colombia para dictar nuevamente un taller de ilustración. Será del 18 al 20 de Octubre de 2018. El evento está organizado por la Universidad de los Andes, Centro del Japón. El taller es sólo para 18 personas así que inscríbanse pronto antes de que se acaben los cupos. Las inscripciones ya están abiertas. ¡Espero verlos allí! Para más información haga clic aqui

illustration group show KRĒM in Detroit opens during ICON

A group show of illustrators’ original art opens in Detroit, during ICON Illustration Conference.
The show is curated by local illustrator Stephen W. Schudlich, and participating artists include: Gary Baseman, Roz Chast, Sue Coe, Anita Kunz among many others. I will be showing one of the original black and white drawings from Folio Society’s Japanese Tales book.

The show is up till September 8, 2018 in The Scarab Club (217 Farnsworth St, Detroit, MI 48202). Reception will be held on Friday, July 13, from 5-8PM.
Please read more details here.

World Cup themed art exhibit opens in Moscow

As this year’s World Cup opens in Russia, football themed group show opened in Moscow. I am invited to be a part of Ball in Art, with huge blown up lightbox of two of Diego Maradona’s most famous and infamous goals from 1986 World Cup. 
The images were originally created for soccer magazine 8 by 8.

“Works by renowned contemporary artists paying tribute to soccer have been brought together in the Ball in Art exhibition, which was inaugurated here Wednesday on the eve of the 2018 World Cup kick-off in the Russian capital.

The exhibition at Zariadie park, near the Kremlin, brings together more than 60 works from 20 different artists, including pioneering Spanish video artist Antoni Muntadas.

Three videos created by Muntadas are projected in a separate room in the 560-sq.-mt. (6,028 sq. ft.) facility that houses the exhibition.

Ball in Art also brings together works by other renowned artists such as Dario Escobar, from Guatemala, Marcos Marin, from Brazil, and Japanese illustrator Yuko Shimizu, whose works pay tribute to the extraordinary goals scored by Argentine legend Diego Maradona.
A light and sound concert by German artist Karsten Winkels will also be presented in Moscow during the World Cup.

The Ball in Art exhibition will be open to the public until July 23.”

GO WEST! exhibition of American Illustration opens in Vienna, Austria

I will be taking a part in this exciting show of illustrators who are based in the USA.
The exhibit is organized by Design Austria and curated by illustrator Peter Diamond who is a friend and also a former student of a workshop from about ten years ago. The poster image is also created by Peter. He is originally from Canada, and currently based in Vienna.

Prints of my exhibited works (three shown below the poster image), as well as many of the participants’ will be for sale, and they are priced relatively affordably, with trusted great quality. (I know the team who’s behind the printing of works.)

GO WEST! is at Designforum Wien in the famous Museums Quartier (Museumsplatz I/Hof7, Wien)
The show opens on June 19, and be up till September 9, 2018.
Press release of the show can be read here (in German).


RIZOMA Festival has started

Indie film festival in Madrid, RIZOMA has officially started today.
I wanted to make it to the event, but I happened to be traveling to Spain one week late, to a different destination, so unfortunately, I am not going to be there. But if you are in Madrid, you’d probably see my posters and banners around Madrid during this five day festival. RIZOMA will be back again in late November, and my posters will appear again with different more fall-winter color scheme.

There is a chance we’ll be doing a small talk event in Madrid before I head back to NY. No details yet, after a venue fell through last minutes. But if it materializes, I’ll make sure to post it here, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.

illustration workshop in Seville, Spain in May

UPDATE: the workshop is sold out. Thank you. Participants, see you in May!
Want to come to majestic Seville, Spain with me for four day illustration workshop? I hope you do, because I can’t wait to come back to this gorgeous city rich with beauty, history, amazing food… (and of course, it’s a backdrop of Game of Thrones as fans know very well.)   Let’s work together for four days!

This workshop will be held on May 24-27  at La Galeria Roja.
Unlike previous workshops that were targeted toward experienced artists, this workshop is open to all levels. Limited to around max of 18 participants. First come, first served. For Spanish speakers, there will be Spanish-English translator available for the duration of the workshop. Price point is set very reasonable at EUR 450.
I hope to see you in Seville in May!

To get more info, and to reserve your spot, please contact [email protected] or call (+34) 955-22-12-00

Thank you for The Hamilton King Award!

It was my huge honor to receive the Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators today.
It came as a huge surprise in form of a phone call by the Society president and fellow illustrator Tim O’Brien. My first response after being told I won was “There are a lot of other people who qualify more”. And to that, Tim’s response was “If you were a guy, he would have just said ‘all right, thank you!’ and accepted it, so you should do just that.” It is, indeed 2018, and I should just accept Tim’s response. So, thank you so very much.
The photo was taken with friends (from left to right) Chris Buzelli, Enzo Pérès-Labourdette, (me), Chad Beckerman, Marcos Chin and Agata Nowicka  and below is the piece that won the award, which was art directed by SooJin Buzelli of PLANSPONSOR

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