YDK Morimoe

I am always amazed by Morimoe's ability to render flesh by using a wide chromatic palette. His digital paintings are typically combined with different layers of textures and other effects that give the works an astounding sense of depth and light. Certain characteristics are often disfigured in some way, whether it's with bright triangles crawling across the subject's face, blood, stitches, or bubbles. What really captivates me though is the way that Morimoe paints his figures' eyes, which are never really white at all--sometimes they are even fogged over with blindness. In short, Morimoe is certainly an artist worth keeping an eye out for.

Fumi Nakamura

The illustrations of Fumi Nakamura incorporate humans with other animal and plant subjects, interacting in a way that shows the often tortured state of the figures. Compositionally, her works flow and draw the eye back into themselves, allowing the viewer to look closely at their remarkable detail. Several of her illustrations focus on stylized, cartoonish characters that are involved in their own quirky narratives.

Alberto Vazquez

Animator and illustrator Alberto Vazquez creates beautiful watercolor landscapes that have an acute sense of light and depth that make his characters seem even more realistic. These niches or environments that Vazquez invents often reflect the emotionality of the personified animals within them. Along with Pedro Rivero, Vazquez recently completed his animation"Birdboy", which received the GOYA Award for the best Spanish short animated film. This animation really is moving, click here to view!

Joao Ruas

The figurative work of Joao Ruas shows not only a fascination with the human body, but also with natural forms such as plants and feathers. His soft values and gradations cause the surface of each piece to appear creamy and sensual. His angular stylization of the female face portrays a sort of haunting beauty. His use of mixed media pays careful attention to the layering and opacity of media, allowing them to interact within a whole piece.

Stephen Campbell

These endearing embroidered illustrations by Stephen Campbell show not only the versatility of different stitches, but also of the fiber itself. Using mainly running stitch, back stitch, and french knots, Campbell achieves a multitude of textures with just a few simple techniques.