Mr. Kiji

Mr. Kiji is influenced by his eclectic (or diverse) upbringing. Born in Kyushu, Japan, and raised in New York City.

During his formative years he learned creative discipline through copying comic books and writing graffiti. At age 17, Mr. Kiji spent time in Nepal studying Tibetan thangka painting before entering college. He received a degree in industrial design from Rhode Island School of Design. Since graduating he has explored professionally many mediums, before focusing full-time as an illustrator and graphic artist. When he's not in the studio, you can find Mr. Kiji traveling, making art, painting murals, playing pool, and drawing sriracha type on noodle soup.

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Artist: Mr. Kiji  |  Title: Transistor Radio

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Work

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Q&A

What motivates you? First and foremost, my family and friends inspire and motivate me. I am lucky to have befriended tons of very talented people with encyclopedias of knowledge and experiences, which always challenge and motivate me to try and bring my ideas and creativity to life. Any wise words of advice? As a creative individual there will always be upsets and rejections. Not everyone will understand or like what you do. It's important to stand your ground as well as learn how to compromise. The challenge is knowing when to do which. Realizing the things of daydreams and ideas is the most satisfying thing in the world. I hope to look back when I'm much older and know I had no regrets. It'll make me smile, and that's a good thing. Good topics for party talk? It should come naturally – no set speaking points. Laughing always helps to break the ice, but not too loud, it weirds people out. Favorite things to do when not creating? Playing pool, trying new unusual foods and traveling. All of these things are great for the mind as well as the soul. What would the ultimate job be? Working on an animated film or a game based on my artwork. What or whom inspires you? I grew up reading comic books, watching anime and reading sci-fi. Although I don't read or watch many new comics or anime, I'm still always inspired by the artists who influenced and inspired me growing up. When I'm stuck I always look to people like Jean Giraud Moebius, Hergé, Ralph Bakshi, Syd Mead, Philip K. Dick, Jack Kirby, Doug Wildey and Alex Toth as well as animators like Hayao Miyazaki and the background artist Maurice Noble. I gravitate to those whose imaginations populate entire worlds of characters, cultures and architecture. I am always inspired by the places I've been blessed to have traveled to. I constantly take photos of unique settings, automobiles, outfits and quirks in cultures, which usually inspire my own imaginations of some other world or far-off place.

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