Ken Katayama: Japan ⋆ Illustrator

One of Japan's leading artists, Ken Katayama has had a long and prolific career as an illustrator of picture books. Born in Tokyo in 1940, Katayama graduated from the Department of Commercial Design at the Musashino Art University and then worked for an advertising company. He published his first picture book, Matti no tori [A Match Bird] in 1966 but could not work full-time as an artist until 1979. Since then, Katayama has published dozens of titles, and his books have been translated into Korean, Taiwanese, English, and French. His books have won several awards, including the 24^th Kodansha Culture Prize for Children's Picture Books Publication for Tange kun [Tange the Cat] in 1993, the 45^th Shogakukan Award for Illustrations for Denden daiko Inochi [A Toy Drum] in 1996, the 3^rd Japan Picture Book Award (Winner's Prize) for Karada tte iina [The Human Body Is a Wonder] in 1997, and the 4^th Japan Picture Book Award (Grand Prize) for Kitsune nyoubou [Fox Wife] in 1998.

Reviewers attribute much of Katayama's popularity to his use of color and the strength of his brushstrokes. His paintings are said to awaken all the senses as they envelope viewers with scenes that suggest sunshine, wind, rain, or the scent of grass. His characters, especially the children, have strong features and dynamic actions, and his work is popular, in part, because it speaks to children's natural "wildness." Katayama works in many genres for children: books for infants, younger, and older children; science books, and poetry. In his fifty years as a working artist, he has collaborated with notable poets and authors of children's stories, and he has broadened his artistic milieu by incorporating new media and studying new styles in order to enhance the themes and subjects of the books he illustrates.