Q1: SAKIE, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is SAKIE. I graduated from Tama Art University with a degree in Graphic Design and currently work as an illustrator based in Tokyo. My work focuses on small, everyday scenes that might otherwise go unnoticed. I mainly use ballpoint pens and colored pencils, layering fine lines to convey color, atmosphere, and emotion.
Q2: What inspired you to pursue illustration as a career?
At university, I had many opportunities to make illustration-based works for class assignments. After graduating, I kept drawing as a personal project, which naturally led me to do what I do today.
Q3: How did your current artistic style come to be?
I've always preferred drawing with lines rather than using comic-style dots, or flat color fills often seen in manga. I had a habit of using lines to build shadows and shading, and since this felt like a less common approach, I began to explore how I could refine it into a distinctive style. Through ongoing experimentation, I eventually developed the style I use today.
Q4: What ideas or themes are behind the series you’ve shared with us?
My illustrations are rooted in the idea of capturing moments that feel familiar, scenes that anyone might have come across at some point in their life. Pieces I’ve shared for this collection feature elements from a house. I aimed to create imagery that feels vaguely familiar, yet just a bit dreamlike or surreal, like something from a memory that’s just out of reach.
Q5: Are there any artists who have influenced your work?
Two artists who have greatly influenced me are Philippe Weisbecker and Paul Cox.
From “HAND TOOLS”, Philippe Weisbecker
I was drawn to Weisbecker’s minimalistic approach of rendering everyday objects like tools and equipment using simple lines. Paul Cox, on the other hand, frequently uses red as his main color, and that inspired me to experiment with colored linework, especially red, rather than sticking to black.
Silkscreen piece from an exhibition at Studio Fotokino, Paul Cox
Q6: What’s next for you as an artist?
I want to continue refining my current style, while also experimenting more with how I use lines and patterns. I’d love to see my illustrations featured in paper media like magazines or novels too.
→ View SAKIE’s Profile and Art Prints