Yumiko Kayakuwa is a Japanese Pop artist, whose work I first saw in a gallery in Detroit several years ago. Her pieces are actually large acrylic paintings on canvas or panel, but they have such an illustrative quality about them that I felt okay about sharing her here. I found a lot of inspiration form her work, and I feel other students could do the same.
All of her pieces share similar themes, and one central character. The girl, with circular pink cheeks, full pouty lips, and an expressionless face. She is like a vessel to tell a story around, always put into a different situation with 3 changing elements: Her fashion, an item of food, and an animal. These items are always there, but always different. There are also elements of seasons or strange locations: winter, spring, summer or outer space, underwater, in the sky even!
I think it's good how Yumiko balances the busyness of her design by coloring the piece very simply. There is no shading, only blocks of color outlined by thick black lines. The style is very reminiscent of comic book coloring, both American and Eastern. I feel Yumiko's pieces are well balanced, beautifully colored, and full of interested details. I like the rich red colors of this piece specifically, and the graceful pose of the girl. Yumiko's works are whimsical and imaginative, and her creativity seems boundless.
More of her work can be seen at SweetYumiko.com. She has literally hundreds of pieces, each of them different and wonderful.