ILLUSTRATION 2023 presents the “NOW” of Japan’s vibrant illustration scene, showcasing art work from 150 exciting artists spanning over 300 pages of illustrations. Every artist’s page comes with a short profile together with some of his/her most representational art work.

I’ve been reviewing this book annually for quite a few years running now ( see my reviews for back issues from 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2016 ) and it has become something I quite look forward to as I get to discover all these amazing new illustrators and their work.

Just like last year, the publisher has released 2 different editions of the book, a regular and a variant cover, both illustrated by the popular Japanese artist Hanabushi ( はなぶし) . Except for the differing cover art, the actual contents of both books are completely identical.

Most of the artists reviewed are new to me, with a few familiar artists whose art books I’ve covered/will cover. I’ve included links to them below.

(image above) Illustrator by the name of Oku, I’ve picked up his beautifully colored manga Samura but I’ve yet to review it. Soon !

This huge volume is the best way to catch up with the top illustrators working in Japan right now, as well as to review the zeitgeist and visual trends in Japanese illustration now. Recommended.

Also check out my reviews from past years – 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2016

PS – The edition I’ve reviewed is the regular edition; there is also a special edition with a slightly different variant cover. The actual contents of both books are completely identical.

“ILLUSTRATION 2023” art book details :

– Dimensions – 19 x 2.7 x 25.7 cm
– Softcover, 320 pages
– Full color, in Japanese

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