ACF 1815: New People Travel features interview with Yoshitaka Amano

Yoskitaka Amano

NEW PEOPLE TRAVEL POSTS LATEST EDITION FEATURING AN INTERVIEW 

WITH ICONIC JAPANESE POP CULTURE ARTIST YOSHITAKA AMANO

New Edition Features The Latest Installment Of An Ongoing Multi-Part Interview

With Famed Final Fantasy Character Designer Yoshitaka Amano

NEW PEOPLE recently posted its latest edition of NEW PEOPLE Travel, an intriguing free Japanese pop culture web magazine. Readers are invited to catch the latest installment of an ongoing multi-segment interview with famed anime creator, character designer, and pop culture artist Yoskitaka Amano.

NEW PEOPLE Travel is a unique web magazine that introduces Western audiences to a variety of Japanese creators that work across borders and the diverse scenery of Japan and journeys they have experienced. It provides an opportunity to see Japan through the eyes of artistic visionaries recognized around the world.

In the latest exclusive NEW PEOPLE Travel interview segment, Yoshitaka Amano sheds light on his highly evolved creative process and how he conceives his designs. He interestingly cites diverse visual cues ranging from the world heritage site of the Kumano Shrine in Japan to the jewelry of Cartier to the intricate costumes of kabuki performers as memorable influences that he has incorporated into his work.

In two previous NEW PEOPLE Travel interview installments with Yoshitaka Amano, the artist discussed his unabashed love for U.S. pop culture and concepts of Western fantasy. He went on to trace how he blends these motifs with traditional Japanese motifs and how concepts based on both Western and Asian mythology often permeate his work.

“Yoshitaka Amano personifies the essence of Japanese pop culture, drawing his influences from both modern and traditional influences, and his work has become internationally recognized for its striking visual power,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the founder of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “These interviews are a rare opportunity for readers to gain insights into what moves and influences this icon of the pop art world. Don’t miss the new installment that just posted on New People Travel!”

Yoshitaka Amano was born on March 26, 1952 in Shizuoka, Japan and famously became a character designer at Tatsunoko Productions beginning at age 15 until going independent in 1982. In 1987, he worked on the concept designs for the Final Fantasy video game and gained a massive international following. He also collaborated with other artists and writers on several theater set designs and illustrations for novels. Around 1995, Amano began to do lithograph work and held solo exhibitions in 1997 and 1999 New York. Since 2002, he has gone on to exhibit in London, Paris, France, Germany, and Hong Kong.

Yoshitaka Amano’s Deva Loka

In 2009, his DEVA LOKA USA exhibition opened at NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco, California and displayed a never before seen colorful vividness and boldness captivating viewers with a daring depiction of the moment of creation, pulling out the definite presence of the infinite power of life. Amano’s latest work— DEVA ZAN – is now available through Dark Horse.

NEW PEOPLE Travel is now available at: www.newpeople.jp (select ENGLISH from the menu bar), or at: www.newpeople.jp/travel/eng/index.html.

More information on NEW PEOPLE is available at www.newpeopleworld.com.

ACF 1054: Yoshitaka Amano exhibition and benefit aution event in San Francsico

MANGA/ANIME ARTIST YOSHITAKA AMANO
DONATES THREE ARTWORKS FOR A SPECIAL ART EXHIBIT
AND JAPANESE DISASTER BENEFIT
AT NEW PEOPLE’s SUPERFROG GALLERY

Yoshitaka Amano: FOR JAPAN
Showcases The Artist’s Vibrant Style
And Presents A Very Special Live Auction Event
To Raise Funds For Ongoing Japanese Recovery

NEW PEOPLE, the dynamic San Francisco entertainment destination that brings the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, will present Yoshitaka Amano: FOR JAPAN, a very special pop art exhibition and auction event to fund ongoing Japanese disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Yoshitaka Amano: FOR JAPAN opens inside NEW PEOPLE’s SUPERFROG Gallery on Saturday, June 18th and runs through Saturday July 9th. A special auction event and closing party is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th – the final day of the exhibit – from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Guests must RSVP here to attend. Additional details are available at: www.newpeopleworld.com/arts/yoshitaka-amano-for-japan.

Yoshitaka Amano has donated three striking new brush works on canvas to be auctioned for the tsunami and earthquake victims of Japan. Fully 100% of all proceeds will be received by the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund by JCCCNC (www.jcccnc.org). Yoshitaka Amano: FOR JAPAN will further exhibit a range of the acclaimed artist’s works that were originally created as a testament to his childhood love for American pop culture, comics, and automobiles. Reinterpreted with his signature manga and anime-influenced graphic style, these breathtaking and vibrant pieces are boldly coated in auto paint and metallic glitter.

Bidding will be open to on-site as well as text bidding beginning at 12:00pm (PST) on Saturday, July 9th. Bid amounts will be updated LIVE on NEW PEOPLE’s TWITTER page. The Final Bidding Event is scheduled to be held during the closing party beginning at 7:30pm.

All bidders must pre-register to participate. Bidders may register online here or also on-site at the SUPERFROG Gallery. Credit Card information will be attained via phone after registration, along with a Bidder Number that will be used for identification during the auction. The bidder with the highest final bid at the auction’s closing time will attain the painting after payment is verified. 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

“Japan still faces many challenges as it works to rebuild its infrastructure and house tens of thousands of people displaced by the earthquake and tsunami,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of NEW PEOPE, Inc. “Yoshitaka Amano is an internationally acclaimed artist in the anime and pop art world and we’re honored to offer the SUPERFROG Gallery as the venue to unveil three of his latest works that will help with such a critical cause. This is a rare opportunity to acquire work by one of the most celebrated pop artists of the last 20 years and one not to be missed!”

Legendary artist Yoshitaka Amano is widely acclaimed for his work in animation and video games. He is also renowned for designing the characters for the hit video game, Final Fantasy, as well as for anime films including Vampire Hunter D, Guin Saga, Final Fantasy, and Front Mission.

The SUPERFROG Gallery is a bright and spacious 2,000 square foot exhibit space that is located on the 3rd floor of NEW PEOPLE’s striking contemporary building in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Japantown. SUPERFROG Gallery is a permanent outlet for established as well as emerging artists that draw inspiration from Japanese and Asian pop and modern culture.

NEW PEOPLE opened in 2009 and has become a unique must-see attraction of San Francisco’s cultural landscape. The 20,000 square foot contemporary venue features the latest examples of Japanese popular culture expressed though film, art, fashion, and a variety of specialty boutiques and ongoing monthly events. NEW PEOPLE is located at 1746 Post Street in the city’s Japantown.

About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (www.newpeopleworld.com) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.