Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimizu

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

back to my favorite mentoring event: Quarantine in Menorca, Spain in April 2026

I know you find it very mysterious, unless you have been already. Quarantine is sort of art/painting bootcamp, that takes place in a beautiful uninhabited island off Menorca Spain. It is, by far, the  most memorable teaching experience I have ever done, and I don’t say it lightly, because I put a lot of effort into every teaching opportunities, and everything I have taught have been pretty much memorable. But yes, it is a bit of a different level.
Yes, it is very pricy. Not for everyone I know. but if you are passionate about creating, looking for a very meaningful week, and make tons of fellow artist friends and mentors from around the world, then I do highly recommend you do it at least once.
This time, I am dragging my long time friend and fellow experienced instructor at School of Visual Arts Mu Pan with me. We will do our best to give you a money and and time worth of experiences. Other mentors includes, Adam Miller, Martin Wittfooth, Phil Hale, Sean Layh, and  Yulia Bas.

The event takes place on April 13-19, 2026. You will get shipped to an island in the morning, and till you get shipped back to the land each night, you won’t use a phone, you create art, interact with peers and mentors, and you will have an experience like no other.
Hope to see you there!

Off to Cusco, Peru for LADFEST

I will be giving a lecture and teaching a workshop in Cusco, Peru for LADFEST (Latin American Design Festival). Studio will be closed till September 16.
Though it is far, and the workshop has been sold out,  if you are interested (especially Spanish speakers, as most of the speakers are Spanish speakers) they do sell remote access tickets. Please contgact the LADFEST organizers for more info. And those who are attending, ¡Nos vemos pronto!
I have been friends with LADFEST organiers since before the event ever materialized. I am happy for them for thriving, and their first ever event in the ancient Inca capital city oF Cusco.


It’s Pub Day!

A new picure book is published today! (August 26, 2025)
IMOGEN The Life and Work of Imogen Cunningham is written by acclaimed young reader book author Elizabeth Partridge (who is also a granddaughter of Imogen), a life of early female photographer, as well as a story of love between a father and daugher. Published by Viking.
I am scheduled to go sign some books at Books of Wonder (international shipping available). Also, if you order through Book Culture, I can autograph your copies, so please do mention you want an autograph copy when you place an order. I can autograph any of my books ordered through Book Culture, so please do take advantage. Please just mention you want my autograph and I will do it.
Thank you for your support!

Speaking at Adobe MAX this fall

I will be coming to Adobe MAX as a speaker This fall. I have done MAX when it was an online only event during COVID, but this is the first time I will be on the MAX stage.
You can participate as both in-person and online audience.
Adobe MAX is a three day art and design event taking place in LA. I am currently working on my talk: What They Never Taught You: Real Talk about Your Creative Career will be on Tuesday, October 28 at #;15PM (LA time) and there will be multiple streaming time slots later on.

Hope to see you there, either in person or online.

 

signed pre-orders are up!

Double signed book pre-order alert! These two books I have illustrated are coming out this fall, and signed re-orders have started.

Godzilla pop-up book: I teamed up with the pop-up book master Matthew Reinhart (he’s worked with Maurice Sendak!) to bring Godzilla into life. I’ll be signing all preorders through my local  Book Culture (only domestic US shipping at the moment). Published by Insight Editions.

Junko Tabei bio picture book: written by Anita Yasuda will be published in September. Books of Wonder is taking pre-orders and both of us will sign. (USA and international orders accepted.)
We will also have a publishing event there on September 29, so please save the date and bring kids! Published by Clarion Books.

I can’t wait to show you what we made!
And big shout out to my coloring assistant Stephanie Kim without whom the books would not have met deadlines.

CANCELLED: Forward Festival appearance

Really sad to announce I won’t be speaking at upcoming  Forward Festival in Berlin in August.
I have two books due at the end of summer / early fall, and I have come tothe conclusion that if I traveled this summer I would not meet the deadlines.
Maybe I get to come speak at their future event(s), but sadly not this time.

I didn’t mean to announce this publicly, but a few people, friends and otherwise, asked me about my talk in Berlin, and a few of you had already booked the tickets.
you will have an incredible time attending Forward Festival I guarantee it. I love they have so much fun stuff happening both on stage and off. They go out of their way to look for inspiring and cool speakers you may have never seen before at any of the design festivals you have attended.
(I spoke at their previous Vienna event and loved the energy of it.)

I’ll be a hermit this whole summer but I’ll travel again from late fall. Other than Qvarantine Eents in October there is nothing to officially announce yet, but I will be off from teaching at @Ssvanyc for a year, and I plan on taking advantage of my upcoming flexible schedule.

I’m in talks to come to Egypt for a workshop with middle eastern artists, maybe back to Barcelona, to Mexico City and to Singapore… all WIP at the moment. I’ll make sure to announce when any of them become official.
Thank you for your kind understanding.

New Print Release + biggest sale event

On Saturday, noon EST (NY time) I’ll be releasing three new limited edition prints, including this ?Cherry Bombom?, re-releasing a very small number of artist proofs of my most popular prints (Hell-o-Kitty, Perfect Afternoon), AND adding holiday sale on top!
Every print order comes with an Oscar Wild gilded print (while supplies last) courtesy of Beehive Books), and bundle discounts of 15 ~ 30%.

Thank you for supporting my art practice, and thank you for letting me hire and pay for my assistants who will be carefully packing and shipping these prints during the holiday season!

THANK YOU! CLIO Awards!!

I woke up to the news my John Wick 4 poster for Lionsgate has won two Clio Entertainment Awards last night!
The whole JW4 Artist Series has won Gold, and my single poster has won Silver.
Thank you to my agent Aaron Barr of Atrbute for this project.

The First Lecture in the Middle East – Amman, Jordan, October 14 –

I will be giving my very first lecture in the Middle East through the kind invite of Fada 317 from Amman, Jordan.
It is open to the public, please come join!
F.A.D.A. 317 is located at Othman Bin Affan St. Bldg. 50 Area – 1st Circle – Rainbow St.
Mobile + 00 962 7 9919 1795

We are beyond excited as Japanese Illustrator Yuko Shimizu is visiting Jordan and has kindly offered to hold a talk in Amman @fada317. Pass by to learn about her experience as an award-winning illustrator. The talk, followed by a Q&A, starts at 1 PM on October 14.

لن تتخيلوا كم نحن متحمسون بزيارة الرسامة اليابانية يوكو شيميزو إلى الأردن، حيث عرضت علينا إجراء محاضرة في عمان في ف.ض.ا.ء. 317. تفضلوا بالحضور للتعرف على تجربتها كرسامة حائزة على عدة جوائز. تبدأ المحاضرة، التي ستليها أسئلة وأجوبة، في الساعة الواحدة ظهرًا يوم 14 تشرين الأول.

SOLD OUT: Workshop in Seville, Spain, May 2024

update (August 15): Thank you. This workshop is sold out. See you in Seville in May!
Thank you, the workshop in Vienna got sold out in a matter of days, with a long waitlist. We decided to announce our next workshop earlier than originally planned.  I will be teaching in Seville, Spain at La Galeria Roja in May 2024.
This workshop is open to all levels of illustrators, while the Vienna workshop was specifically catered toward professionals and semi-pros.
(Please consider an  entry-level illustrator to be someone who is able to make ideas into sketches and compositions, as well as be able to start and finish illustrations of your own with a medium of your choice.) Though, this does not mean it is unsuitable for professional-level artists. I have taught and gotten to know plenty of professional artists in previous workshops here in the past, and I expect this upcoming session to be the same(I am semi-regular at La Galeria Roja).
This workshop focuses on exercises for coming up with good ideas and compositions. But also, my philosophy about teaching artists never changes. Focus is you, and your own personal voice. I will not be teaching or forcing my technique or style onto others. I want you to thrive as your own self.

Please read more and sign up here. Also, if you have any questions about the workshop, please reach out to info@lagaleriaroja.com in English or in Spanish.

PS: I get asked about where I will be teaching next… Right at the moment, I do not have any other workshops scheduled after these. Since all the travels I do are in collaboration with art organizations, conferences, universities, etc, if your organization has a serious interest in having me teach a workshop (or speak), please do reach out to me to discuss.  Thank you.

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