Collaborating with the Likes of tuki. & Yohji Yamamoto! Illustrator wataboku's Fashion Style

Artist wataboku, known for his original icon "SAI" and works depicting girls in uniforms, became famous on social media. Now, he participates in a variety of activities beyond social media, including providing illustrations for music videos (MV), commercials, and book covers.

What thoughts lie behind the illustrations created by wataboku, as well as the characters and fashion depicted within them? We will explore his unique perspective through the production background of his works, including the artwork for the songs of 15-year-old singer-songwriter tuki. and his collaboration with "Yohji Yamamoto."

tuki. Visual Artwork Production Starting with "Bansanka (晩餐歌)"

Can you tell us about your journey as an artist?

Having grown up in an environment with a father who is a manga artist, I loved drawing from a young age and continued to do so throughout my childhood.

However, I was not initially clear about becoming a professional. The turning point came when I published my first art book "感0" in 2016 and held my first solo exhibition, "きみ、あなた、おまえ."

Up until then, I received likes and comments on my works online without showing my face, but hosting the exhibition made me think, "I should take on a bit more responsibility," as I was able to communicate directly with visitors who came specifically to see my art.

I realized that I should value the situation where people make an effort to come and see my work, and gradually shifted my focus more seriously toward my art.

Recently, the visuals for singer-songwriter tuki. have also become a hot topic. How did you create them?

The first project I received from tuki. was the visuals for "Bansanka (晩餐歌)." I was provided with hints such as the name tuki., information about the song, and an image of "delivering songs from the moon to everyone on Earth."

Using that information, I thought about how to build the artist's image and expanded my interpretation based on the idea that "the moon's pattern looks like a rabbit," ultimately deciding to create a plush character based on a rabbit. I also used deep blues and low-saturation pinks to match the sophisticated feel of the song, resulting in a youthful yet somewhat shadowy impression.

Although tuki. does not show their face, were there any challenges in considering fashion and hair and makeup?

The fact that they do not show their face allows for a certain degree of freedom and flexibility, which actually made it easier for me. I was only given some information about their hairstyle to consider their exterior image.

Since there was no visual information available, I solidified the image based on my own works and created a version of my original icon "SAI" that looks a bit younger.

tuki.'s visuals are still being continuously produced. Have there been any changes in your drawing style from the beginning to now?

I think I received the request for "Bansanka (晩餐歌)" about a year and a half ago, and I have been gradually changing the visuals to match tuki.'s growth. It is not uncommon for students to change significantly in just one year.

For example, in the latest song "Aimoraimo (アイモライモ)," I have slightly elongated the proportions and made the expressions more mature compared to the early works, so I hope people will notice the differences.

As for fashion, while the current base is a uniform, I have made adjustments such as shortening the skirt for more liveliness in more intense songs, and I switch between summer and winter outfits based on the season.

Behind the Scenes of the "Yohji Yamamoto" Collaboration

Let's discuss the collaboration with "Yohji Yamamoto" for the Spring/Summer 2022 season. How did this collaboration come to be?

According to the representative, the collaboration stemmed from my involvement in illustrating the suspense-horror work "辻占の女," which was serialized in "週刊文春." I was told that Yohji saw the illustrations I created with a horror theme to match the story and reached out to me.

How did you go about creating the visuals?

I began by conceptualizing the work based on the request for it to be "frightening" and the specification of monochrome. The challenge was to express something formless like horror and to incorporate a certain strangeness, resulting in two pieces.

One piece features three women’s faces with intertwined hands. I thought it could be intriguing to combine my characteristic portrayal of women with a scene of intertwined faces and hands, something not typically seen in everyday life.

The other piece contains numerous eyeballs in the background. I had already created a piece with eyeballs as a background for "辻占の女," and when "Yohji Yamamoto" expressed wanting that atmosphere, I felt it would be uninteresting to replicate the exact same work, so I decided to update it.

What kind of feedback did you receive after the items were sold?

Some attendees at the exhibition came wearing items from "Yohji Yamamoto," and I received messages from people saying they purchased items as well. While I had previously created my own goods, such as T-shirts, seeing clothing spread to the world in a different form was a new and fascinating experience.

Is there anything consistent you keep in mind when expressing fashion and hair/makeup through illustrations?

Part of it is due to my struggle to pick up on trends, but I make an effort to remain unaffected by them.

I do try to observe the latest trends through music videos and other media, but I believe it is crucial to express the fashion, items, and moments that I personally find appealing at the time. By doing so, I aim to create works that don't become stale.

While wataboku receives calls for collaborations from a wide range of fields, from global apparel brands to emerging singer-songwriters, he expresses a desire to "experiment with more analog methods to demonstrate compassion and affection towards others in future works." I look forward to his evolving creativity, which extends beyond illustrations.