Who doesn’t love whimsical little woodland creatures all dressed up and walking through a forrest to a tea party? Akiko Miyakoshi is the artist behind the brilliant image seen above. She is originally from an island in Japan called Honshu. She studied visual communication and illustration at Musashino Art University, which is in Tokyo and then moved to Berlin for a while.

After living in Berlin and returning to Japan she began her career as a children’s book illustrator. Her first book, The Storm, won the Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix. Her second book called The Tea Party in the Woods (illustrations seen above) was the first book she had translated into english and won critical acclaim!

I actually came across her work while creating book orders at work for the fall. There was a small image of her beautiful black and white drawings, the mystical personification of the woodland creatures really captured my attention.

I was really struck by how beautifully she had personified the animals in her illustrations. Her drawings are full of very heart felt little moments, they are sincere and quiet. There is a calmness and gentleness about them which I think can be partially attributed to the use of black and white, soft lines, and a really great eye for light.

Since the the publishing of Tea Party in the Woods, Akiko has exhibited her work in Tokyo and has published many other titles. Please visit her website to learn more about her work.

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