Tatsuro Kiuchi's illustrated world is as delicately beautiful as they come

Given his vast and distinctive body of work, we’re mildly ashamed to say we’ve only just discovered illustrator Tatsuro Kiuchi. The Japanese illustrator is a graduate of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena and has worked for some of the biggest and best clients out there across the US, Europe and his native Japan.

Tatsuro began his career specifically illustrating children’s books and covers (to-date he’s illustrated over 20) his light touch and expressive mark-making lending themselves naturally to the whimsical narratives of children’s tales. Since then he’s branched out into editorial, advertising and most other varieties of illustration, amassing a body of work that demonstrates a prolific practice.

Stylistically his work is reminiscent of mid-century French poster art; the light palettes, grainy textures and overlaid layers combining to evoke a dreamy sense of aged advertisements for the summertime riviera or a high-class train journey. But its universal appeal has seen it applied to every imaginable medium, from postage stamps to Starbuck’s mugs. A truly unique and considered body of work.