Hugo Yoshikawa is a French-Japanese artist born in Tokyo in 1986 to a Japanese father and French mother. Yoshikawa spent his childhood in London, Paris, Tokyo, Bangkok, and New York due to his father’s work. While living in Bangkok, he began reading popular French comics of the “bandedessinée” style including the adventure comics “Spirou et Fantasio,” which his mother bought for him. The sophisticated artistic quality of the comics made a strong impression on him and, at the age of ten, he decided to pursue a future in graphics. As the first step in this direction, he went to Great Britain after graduating from high school to attend Camberwell College where he majored in illustration. After graduation, he began his career as an illustrator in Madrid and Tokyo. Returning to London, he continued to develop his creative expression in works that transcend the genres of illustration, manga, and drawings at a studio in Dalston, where illustrators, artists, and designers gather from all over the world. As an illustrator, Yoshikawa chooses a diverse palette of media and techniques to give expression to his unique world including books and prints, hand drawing, and animation. He now splits his time between London and Barcelona.
He captures everyday objects and scenes with a unique perspective inspired by his daydreams, focusing on themes such as travel, food, drinks, nature, and architecture. Continuously striving for artistic growth, his work is primarily rendered on paper with a flat, 2D style, emphasizing strong line work and vibrant block colors. He also challenges himself by experimenting with various mediums, transitioning from canvas paintings to prints and animations, as he explores new approaches in each series. To achieve a broader appeal, he creates text-free comic strips, using colors and lines to convey emotions effectively.
Yoshikawa has exhibited in numerous countries including solo exhibitions Galerie Yoshii and Chanel Nexus Hall in Japan; Nidau Gallery in Switzerland; Couverture & The Garbstore in the UK, and many more. Yoshikawa's work has featured in Chanel Nexus Hall Press and Thema Press.
