Yuko Shimizu is an acclaimed Japanese illustrator based in New York City, widely recognized for her expressive line work and visually compelling storytelling. With over two decades of professional experience, her work spans editorial illustration, book publishing, advertising, and large-scale public art. In addition to her prolific career as an artist, she is a dedicated educator at the School of Visual Arts. Yuko Shimizu has received numerous industry honors, including the prestigious Caldecott Honor and induction into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, marking her as one of the leading voices in contemporary illustration.
Following her recent appearance as a featured speaker at OFFF Barcelona, one of the world’s premier festivals for creativity and digital design, we spoke with Yuko Shimizu about the evolution of her practice. In this interview, she reflects on her career transition from corporate public relations to the arts, the development of her visual language, and the challenges and opportunities facing illustrators in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
The transition you made from a corporate PR career in Tokyo to studying art in New York is inspiring. What motivated this significant shift, and how did your previous experiences influence your artistic approach?
Around the age of 30, I came to a realization: I was no longer a kid, and it was time to decide what I truly wanted to do with the rest of my life. The corporate PR job in Tokyo wasn’t it. I spent a long period reflecting, and at the end of that process, I came back to something I had always loved but never pursued—art. However, I felt a deep sense of inferiority compared to those who had formally studied art. So, I made the decision to go to art school, not just to learn, but to overcome that insecurity.
Looking back, my time in PR and corporate life wasn’t wasted. It gave me valuable skills that I still use today. For example, how to navigate professional environments, manage client relationships, and respect workplace dynamics. One seemingly small but meaningful lesson I remember from new employee training: don’t call clients at exactly 9 a.m. Give them time to settle into their day. Even now, I don’t send emails or messages too early in the morning. These seemingly minor things show a sense of awareness and respect, and they matter a lot in professional relationships.
With over 20 years of experience, how has your illustration style evolved, and what key moments have defined your artistic journey?
I was lucky to have great teachers in school who helped me recognize what came naturally to me. That guidance helped me develop a strong foundation early on. My work always had a clear voice, even if it wasn’t as refined then as it is now.
I entered the field at a time when the kind of style I naturally gravitated toward—line-heavy work with flat digital colors—was emerging as a new aesthetic. There were a few artists already working in that space, and I became part of that wave. That visibility helped, particularly since I brought a different perspective as an Asian woman in a male-dominated field.
However, when that style became trendy and others began mimicking it, I didn’t want to become just another follower. So, about two or three years into my career, I began intentionally experimenting, adding textures, using watercolor paper, creating imperfections in the line work. I had a regular client with fast turnarounds and low budgets, but they allowed me creative freedom. That job was a sandbox where I could explore and refine my voice. Some experiments failed, some succeeded, but none were disasters. Over time, I filtered out what didn’t work and kept what did. That period was crucial in shaping the version of my style people recognize today.
We admire the way your illustrations often feature intricate line work and bold color palettes. Could you share insights into your creative process and how you develop these distinctive visual elements?
Much of my style stems from what I naturally do—I’m drawn to strong line work and clear compositions. Over time, I’ve added more depth and texture. Early on, my work was very clean and flat. But as I mentioned, I started pushing against that aesthetic, adding imperfections, layering textures, and trying unconventional materials and methods.
My process always involves thinking about what’s appropriate for the content. I don’t just plug in a style for every project. I work from concept first, what idea are we trying to communicate? How can visual elements support or challenge that idea?
It also helps that I work in a way that keeps me creatively engaged. I like not knowing exactly how things will turn out. That unpredictability helps keep my process fresh and ensures my work doesn’t become robotic or formulaic. If I don’t know what my next move will be, there’s no way a machine could replicate it either.
Your work spans diverse platforms—from editorial pieces in The New York Times to children’s books like The Cat Man of Aleppo. How do you adapt your creative process across such varied mediums?
From the outside, it may look like I work across a lot of categories editorial, book covers, comics, children’s books, but this didn’t happen all at once. I began with editorial work and gradually branched out.
Each new platform required a different mindset. When I moved into book covers, I had to think differently about narrative and symbolism. With comic covers, I had to consider branding and serial consistency. Children’s books are a whole different world, requiring a deep understanding of tone, audience, and emotional storytelling.
But I like this kind of diversity. It keeps my work dynamic. I never wanted to be labeled as “just” an editorial illustrator or “just” a children’s book artist. Of course, this also means I don’t always feel like I belong to any one community, comics people don’t quite consider me one of them, and same goes for design and kidlit communities. I’m always orbiting on the edge. But that’s okay. It means I get to do a variety of meaningful work.
When you’re gearing up to create, what activities or interests inspire you and contribute to your creativity?
Travel is one of my biggest sources of inspiration. Being in unfamiliar environments, walking down streets I’ve never seen, tasting new foods, observing people and cultures, it all stimulates creativity.
Conferences and festivals also offer unique forms of inspiration. Not necessarily from other artwork, but from people, interactions, and environments. I no longer look at much art to get inspired; it’s more about experience now, being exposed to different perspectives, different ways of living. Even walking my dog and chatting with neighbors who don’t know or care about what I do is grounding and refreshing.
With the iconic OFFF Barcelona festival of creativity & digital design coming up next month, we are eager to find out what we could expect from your role as speaker at the event? What are you most excited about?
OFFF is exciting and also a bit intimidating. I don’t come from the traditional design world, so every time I go to an event like this, I feel like I’m stepping into a space where I’m both known and unknown. But I like that challenge.
My talk is always about more than myself. I may use my personal story as the framework, but the goal is to offer something the audience can take away—whether it’s inspiration, a new perspective, or practical advice. I’ve watched a lot of talks where the speaker just runs through their portfolio or talks about how great they are, and that’s not helpful. I want to give people something they can relate to, something that might shift how they approach their own path.
And selfishly, festivals like OFFF have also opened unexpected doors for me—travel opportunities, invitations to new places, new friendships. So I always go in with gratitude and curiosity.
With the evolving landscape of digital media, how do you see the role of illustration changing, and how are you adapting to these changes?
Things are changing fast—print is shrinking, new media formats are emerging, AI is becoming a big disruptor. But that’s how it’s always been. There were always people saying, “Magazines are dead” or “There’s no more work.” But alongside every decline is the birth of something new, interactive media, immersive experiences, branded content for tech companies. Those didn’t even exist a decade ago.
When it comes to AI, yes, it’s a challenge. But I also see it as a call to level up. If AI can do your job better than you, maybe it’s time to push harder, get more original, and focus on what only humans can do, emotional intelligence, unpredictable ideas, authentic expression. Our role is to keep evolving, keep learning, and keep creating work that is undeniably human.
All images courtesy of Yuko Shimizu
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