Hikari Shimoda’s paintings might look sweet at first glance, but upon further inspection what seems enchanting turns out to be quite alarming – a disarming landscape where cuteness and horror coexist.
Based in Nagano, Japan, Shimoda first studied illustration at Kyoto Saga University of Art and Aoyama Juku School before beginning her career as a professional contemporary artist in 2008. Soon after, she was selected for her first solo exhibition at Motto Gallery in Tokyo and has since held exhibitions in galleries worldwide, including Japan, the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Inspired by Japanese manga and anime, Shimoda’s work expresses modern-day issues in colorful and illustrative techniques. Often depicting starry-eyed children, she dresses her characters in heroic costumes resembling Superman and magical girls, an anime sub-genre of young girls who use magic, revealing problems and struggles in contemporary society through a juxtaposition of brushwork, text, and collage. “I try to create a ‘universal language,’” she told WOW x WOW. “Using a combination of motifs, I want my work to be understood based purely on the image itself, without looking at explanations or translations.”
“Many people are now familiar with kawaii or Japanese ‘cute,’” she adds. “I am interested in cuteness as an artistic tool. I deal with very serious and negative themes in my work. It takes a lot of bravery to face what scares us, or disgusts us, whatever is causing negativity in our lives.”
Enter her eerie worlds:
