Tokyo illustrator Shunpei Kamiya turns everyday moments—commuters on a train, school corridors, supermarket selfies—into still, surreal paintings by adding unexpected twists like laser-eyed stares or rabbits leaping from screens. He uses flat gouache colors, resists photographic realism and leaves narrative gaps that invite personal interpretation while reflecting the sensory overload of modern Tokyo.

Maki Yamaguchi merges bold brushstrokes and detailed pen work to create illustrations rooted in folklore, mythology and scientific curiosity. She uses a recurring skeleton avatar to explore identity and equality, earning awards for pieces like her Drift portrait and the cityscape Smoke.

This post displays a painting by Javier Mayoral. It highlights his artistic style through a single image credit.