- Source:
- @helloverysunday / @kaechang / @kaechanha22
- Tags:
- Anime / Art / Drawing / Exhibition / Illustration / Japanese idols / Kae Tanaka / Kaechang / Manga / Osamu Tezuka / Spirits / Yokai
Related Article
-
grape Japan Site Update Featuring Original Illustration By Hiroyuki-Mitsume Takahashi
-
Japan Airlines and One Piece team up for Wano Country airplane and pirate adventure in the sky
-
Naruto hotel room holds ‘Summer of Uchiha’ event with limited-time decorations & merch
-
Honda releases bike from Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” in Japan
-
Interview With Hugtto! Precure Producer Keisuke Naito: Part 1
-
Epic New Godzilla And Evangelion Crossover Gives Us Coolest Mechagodzilla Figures Yet
If the girls populating the illustrations of Kae Tanaka, with their long limbs and large hands, their small heads and big eyes, remind you of Osamu Tezuka, the resemblance is not a coincidence. The so-called "Father of Manga" who created Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Blackjack and Phoenix was Tanaka's original inspiration when she began drawing in her childhood years. Born in Yokohama in 1995, she graduated from Department of Information Design of Tama Art University.
Since 2010, Kae Tanaka has been actively uploading her illustrations on Tumblr and her influence has spread through social media.
We interviewed Kae Tanaka to learn a bit more about her artwork and her vision:
grape Japan (gJ): When did you begin drawing?
Kae Tanaka (KT): My parents took me to museums from a young age, so I began drawing in my childhood.
gJ: And when did you really get started as an artist?
KT: I think I could say that my artistic activities really began when I became a college student.
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: Can you talk about the way Osamu Tezuka influenced you?
KT: Osamu Tezuka taught me how to expand my range when it comes to ways of drawing hands.
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: The figures in your illustrations are characterized by long limbs but particularly the hands have a strong presence. Do you have a reason or motivation for this style?
KT: I’m not good at drawing hands and I have a complex about my own. So, in order to make sense of all that, I ended up drawing hands in this way.
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: What seem to be spirits, monsters and zombies often appear in your illustrations in close physical proximity to the girls, either clinging to them, holding them or biting them. Is there are reason for this?
KT: Ever since my beloved pet dog Tanuki passed away, I’ve been drawing spirits. I have the feeling he never obtained peace…
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
Another recent motif in Tanaka's art is faces with distorted eyes, which represent an attempt to deal with things that inspire feelings of fear or hate.
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
Some of Tanaka's illustrations reflect the technologically mediated culture of her generation.
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: I noticed photography on your Tumblr account. Is there any other medium you work in?
KT: I try to draw my illustrations on a variety of mediums. When I was working in a bakery, I would draw on bread destined for the trash bin.
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: You provided artwork for the film Tokyo Internet Love and for the music video for Nogizaka 46’s song Nigemizu 逃げ水. Do you also design apparel or have your own goods?
KT: I do live painting, I’ve designed CD jackets, T-shirts and stickers.
Cover art for brinq's single Konya wa LUV & DESTINY feat. Hogechan from Kindan no Tasuketsu | With permission from Kaechang
gJ: On your Instagram account, you posted a portrait of you by Sushio (an animator famous for designing the characters of hit anime Kill La Kill) which he gave you at your solo show last month. Are you friends? Do you have other connections with people in the anime industry?
KT: Although it’s not a commercial project, I’ve been assistant for an animator called Saki Iyori. I mostly know people associated with Tama Art University.
gJ: From the illustrations and sketches you often post to your Twitter account, it looks you’re a fan of Dempagumi.inc, BiS, 1980s retro pop duo Bed In (recently featured in the New York Times), and quite a few other idol groups. Is there a connection between your artistic activities and your love of idols?
KT: Idols really influenced me when I was preparing for my college entrance exams. I would study while listening to Dempagumi.inc. At the Mount Fuji Exhibit β (AWAJI Café & Gallery, 2017), I was so happy that I was able to exhibit my works together with Nemu Yumemi (of Dempagumi.inc)
With permission from Kaechang
With permission from Kaechang
gJ: Do you have something new you’d like to try as an artist in the future?
KT: Yes, I’d love to exhibit my work abroad.
gJ: In conclusion, would you like to say something to our grape Japan readers?
KT: Thank you for reading until the end of this interview! I’ve decided that as long as I’m still alive, I’ll keep drawing every day. I’m a drawing machine, you see. So, if you come to Japan, I really hope you’ll come and meet the drawing machine lol
Kae Tanaka Biography
If you'd like to see more of Kae Tanaka's art work and find out when she'll be having her next exhibit or other projects, you can follow her accounts on Twitter , Tumblr and Instagram.
Finally, if you can't wait to get some of Tanaka's art, she has her own stamps on the popular social app LINE (also available outside of Japan). If you use LINE, you can download them here.
With permission from Kaechang
By - Ben K.