Artist Statement

Mukashi Mukashi, meaning “once upon a time” in Japanese, is a book cover series that represents the five fairy tale and folklore stories from Keisuke Nishimoto’s children’s book Japanese Fairy Tales: Volume 1. I wanted my covers to appeal to younger audiences as well as represent a combination of eastern and western art styles. Pulling from the ideas and forms of inkan stamp designs and sumi-e, ukiyo-e, and chigiri-e work, I created ink illustrations filled with cute characters and colorful, intricate texture.

When I make art, I like to start by establishing a personal connection to my family and interests. These stories by Nishimoto were ones that I often read as a child because they connected me to my heritage and my grandmother’s culture. I made this series not only to express this important sliver of my background, but to introduce a new set of valuable stories to western audiences. These tales teach children about another country’s culture, values, history, traditions, and ways of life that may be new or unfamiliar to them. Overall, this series emphasizes the art and importance of storytelling as well as the significance of sharing fairy tales and folklore from around the world with children everywhere.