Artist Asks

Strange beasts & coffee inspo from Pueblo illustrator Riki Takaoka

The artist of 17 years with a modern Japanese style will show at ‘Japan Style’ through May.

For the last 17 years Riki Takaoka has been honing his craft, illustrations with a specific style that is modern graphics intersected with classic Japanese graphic undertones.

So naturally, Takaoka’s illustrations were the perfect fit for Sangre de Cristo’s latest exhibit “Japan Style: The Art of Form and Function.”

RELATED: “Japan Style: A conversation of art and function”

Takaoka, 32, has 15 pieces in the show — many of them featuring a theme that often shows up in his work: kaiju, the Japanese word for “strange beast.”

We asked the Pueblo-based artist a couple of questions about his work and had him draw his answers out.

“K.K. Slider is a chill guitar-playing dog from Animal Crossing,” Takaoka said. “I couldn’t figure out who I would be as a fictional character so I just chose him.”

Dragons show up a lot in Takaoka’s work. More specifically, they are “kaiju” — strange beasts.

Japan Style will be on exhibit at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center through May 21.

Beyond showcasing classic Japanese artistry items, the show will feature cutting-edge contemporary works by regional artists working in the traditions of Japanese style. The three featured artists in this exhibition are Riki Takaoka of Pueblo, Renee Reiko Campbell of Colorado Springs, and Margaret Kasahara of Colorado Springs.

** You can also catch Takaoka’s work regularly in PULP Newsmagazine.