Shio

ON A SURPRISINGLY sunny yet cold morning, I arranged to meet Shio, a Japanese illustrator, for a chat at Hampstead Heath. She told me that it’s a place she often revisits to feel refreshed and get inspiration. I first encountered Shio’s work on Instagram, where I was drawn to the colours and emotions of her ‘Lost in London’ series.

As we slowly strolled up Parliament Hill, Shio started sharing about her love for observing how daily life unfolds in an urban environment, especially in London which she has called home for the past 3 years. 

Q: How did you start your drawing journey?

I remember enjoying drawing when I was young, I even went to drawing school at 5 years old. However, I chose STEM in the 2nd year of high school in Japan, and didn’t draw for many years. It was only when I studied architecture in university that brought me back to it. For the first year of university, we had to attend a class on drawing buildings - I think that’s what sparked my love for drawing the city. It took me a long time before I started drawing people, but once I did, the more I liked it. 

After my Masters, I managed to get a job with Walt Disney Imagineering, utilising my architecture and urban planing background, working on their theme park in LA. I lived for a year in Burbank, home to many prep schools for people who want to join the animation industry. I ended up attending evening classes and it was there that I re-learned the basics and was taught about perspective and concepts like character development. 

Q: Was there a breakthrough moment for your illustration work?

I guess you could say that. Eventually I returned to Japan, working in real estate while doing my illustration practice on the side. During the pandemic, when the whole world was stuck at home, I started drawing what I remembered from my time in New York and LA. This included places I loved, the scenery and buildings. To my surprise, one of the cafes in New York reached out and asked to purchase my drawing! This was my first sale and marked the beginning of my illustration career.

While back in Japan, I got to be a part of the Mural Rookies Project with TokyoDex in 2022, where they gathered 4 junior artists with one mentor and we worked on a 12-meter long mural on the temporary hoardings that surrounded Shibuya Station. The theme was 'My Shibuya' and we asked ourselves 'what does Shibuya mean to you?'. Looking back, the project provided great exposure and was such a valuable learning experience. Not only did I learn how to prepare for a mural at such a large scale, but I also had to juggle working at my job and painting at night or on the weekends where the public could watch.

From there, I got commissioned to do 3 other murals with different companies, so I'd say that it was good exposure.

Q: So how did you end up in London?


It's a funny story: During the pandemic, I was thinking to myself that I should not hesitate, and just go ahead and do the thing I want to do in my life. I applied for a working holiday visa through a lottery system and was very lucky to have got it!

Q: And how does living and working in London impact your art practice?

I love it. I'm constantly inspired by the history and high level of design that is so evident everywhere in the city. Being surrounded by so much creative events and elements has been inspiring.

I also love the balance between urban and green spaces here. Unlike the other places I've lived in, people here are hardworking but they also love to enjoy themselves, which I find really refreshing.

Q: You mentioned that you designed a mural for Shake Shack in London - congratulations! How did that come about?

It's funny because when I first saw the email, I didn't believe it and thought it was a scam (laughs). Shake Shack has been one of my dream clients since I learned about how they collaborate with artists. The brief was pretty easy and straightforward: I just sought to incorporate joy and community as well as recognisable historical elements around the Victoria area. I walked around Victoria to get a feel of the community and came up with a few concept sketches. The chosen concept was in the style of comic panels. I tried to include as many Shake Shack logos and food with other London icons like Big Ben. I'm happy with how it turned out, and it also fulfilled one of my goals, which was to “leave my mark” in London, by creating something that will last.

It's already my third year here. While the initial stages were difficult, I am happy that I've managed to do so much so far. In the first year, I joined a mural collective where I managed to make friends and had my artworks in two group exhibitions. I also signed with an illustration agency which helped bring in commission work. I also did a pop-up shop at Carnaby Street which was really fun and also forced me to think about merchandising (prints, cards, calendars).

Of course, there have been some slow and challenging periods, where there was no work and I thought of exploring other options. What I did during those slower periods was to work on my own personal work, and I found that as I worked on developing my personal style, I was able to get more clients.

Q: I really love your ‘Lost in London’ series - how did that come about?

I started drawing that in my first year during a pop-up. I suppose it has become more poignant now that I might be leaving London soon. I have always had the habit of observing and doing quick sketches of people whenever I went out. This project is the result of that. I currrently have done 20 drawings in this series and I hope to do 100, featuring different places in London. I also want to use the colours that I feel, instead of what I see. It makes it more personal and unique.

Do you have other goals that you are working towards before your move away from London?

Other than networking and meeting more people, I would love to have an exhibition. Probably not somewhere formal and intimidating like a gallery, but perhaps a cafe or pub will be ideal. I'm also currently working on some art pieces for a group show for Christmas, so I guess I'd like to just keep working on my illustrations.

I'm also working on two series: one is the ‘Lost in London’ series that you've mentioned. The other is ‘People in London’, where I look out for people on the streets who seem to be enjoying an everyday moment, like friends engaging in conversation or people on the tube. I just want to be able to capture people as they are, in an urban setting or in beautiful scenery. I'm glad that over the years drawing people has become easier to me.

After wrapping up this short time with Shio, I boarded the train to Victoria, keen to see her mural design at Shake Shack. On the way there, I found myself musing about the two series she described, and I found myself slowing down, being more observant of the everyday moments around me. I guess that’s one of the benefits of her illustration practice: intentionally slowing down and observing the world as it happens around her. I’m excited to follow along as she aims to complete 100 drawings for her ‘Lost in London’ series - follow along here.