Update 2021 : There is now a Deho Gallery background art book; read my review here.

Founded on July 1st, 2015, Deho Gallery is a joint business venture by Japanese anime studios Dwango, Studio Khara and Studio Ponoc. The company’s mission statement is to preserve the art of hand-painted backgrounds for works of animation as well as video games and commercial advertising.

Evangelion director Hideaki Anno is among the board of directors, and veteran Ghibli background artist Kazuo Oga serves in an advisory role. The list of background artists that make up Deho are cream of the crop talent that have worked on top anime films, and a small selection of their work are reproduced below :

(above) Background art from Mamoru Hosoda’s Wolf Children. (below) Background art from Ponyo.

(above) Background art from When Marnie Was There.

(below) Background art from Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises.

The beautiful background art featured in anime films are one of the best highlights of the art form, and I look forward to seeing more from this studio in the near future.

For more information, visit dehogallery.co.jp.


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