Manga in Japanese means comics and cartooning. The art form became popular in the late 19th century. Today people of all ages read manga. The global print industry is feeling the affects of the e-book market disruption however publishing in Japan with a focus still on Manga is currently worth $6.4bn. We had the pleasure to meet Yuichi Yokoyama, a manga artist with an abstract twist, in late 2016.

Born in 1967, Yuichi Yokoyama grew up in the south of Japan in the Miyazaki prefecture. In his early twenties Yokoyama moved to Tokyo and gained a B.A. in painting from Musashino Art University. Today he lives on the outskirts of the city.

To describe Yokoyama’s manga creations is difficult in terms of traditional manga that is published in series via Shonen Jump. His manga varies in styles and are always visually compelling. With over 10 books translated into French and English, multiple international exhibitions and street art continually popping up around Tokyo, Yokoyama’s self professed ‘neo-manga’ style is reaching a wider and larger audience. 

Fun fact, Yokoyama doesn’t read manga…