Aya Takano

Aya Takano (タカノ綾) is a well known cartoonist, illustrator and artist. She is a member of Kaikai Kiki, a famous art group founded by Takashi Murakami. Aya was born in 1976 in Saitama, Japan. She received a bachelor’s of arts from the Tama Art University in Tokyo.

Superflat

Aya Takano is a member of the Superflat movement – an artistic movement in Japan influenced by manga and anime where the focus is on flat characters in popular culture. It was designed to emphasize a shallowness in culture as well as highlight some of the more well known aspects of modern Japanese culture, though it is most commonly used as a marketing campaign for western audiences. Besides Aya and Takashi, other Superflat artists include: Chiho Aoshima, Mahomi Kunikata, and Yoshitomo Nara.

Aya’s artwork usually has a female main character and often has her in either violent or sexual themes. The eyes of Aya’s characters are always very large, and she tends to use a lot of color in her artwork.

Aya Takano Art

Most of Aya’s paintings have similarities. Their eyes are usually dark and large. Their bodies are often naked or with minimal clothing, but their bodies are fairly thin and flat without much form. She uses a variety of lighter colors that are not impactful on the eye. All of her art is influenced by both Manga and Science Fiction, as are most artwork in the Superflat movement. In addition to all of her artwork, Aya Takano has also created a comic book series known as Space Ship EE.

Major Works

• On a moonlight night, their teeth painted black
• Mail Mania Mami, Standing in a Storm
• Noshi & Meg, on Earth, year 2036
• A Night Walk - A Pink Moon Emerged
• I like the hollows of the buildings
• Earth Viewed from the Moon
• Seen from Earth

External Links

• Kaikai Kiki Homepage (English)
• Article on the Superflat Movement