Featured Artist Update: Ryurakudo

Ryurakudo’s unique designs are so much more than your typical “cute” doodle; be prepared to uncover the strange and unusual lurking beneath the charm of a soft panda, a purring kitten, or a fluffy alpaca. The prominently black, white, and red images – made with bold artistic lines – are a perfect mix of the adorable and the uncanny. Ryurakudo’s surreal world is filled with irresistible designs that leave you on the edge of both delight and trepidation. Is this cat a friend or a foe? Step into Ryurakudo’s world to find out more!

The DBH artist Ryurakudo, aka Norio, is from Kishiwada in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan. Ryurakudo continues to be inspired by the traditional Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints, known as "floating world picture[s].” His unique designs offer an otherworldliness that is also found in ukiyo-e art.

Ryurakudo describes his work as “thick outline[s], doodles, kawaii and funny.” He finds that he is happiest when he is alone in his room listening to music and creating art. In fact, he marvels that drawing is still an “enjoyable” pastime and that it has never lost the magic or the allure. He loves that with DBH he can share his designs globally and he looks forward to a time when “everyone in the world know[s] my art.”

His advice to artists is a simple, yet important, mantra to “just keep on doing art.”