Meet My Art Friend: Haruka Aoki
On knowing the winds of one's desires, the symbiosis of text and image, and supporting other artists
Welcome to the fourth edition of Meet My Art Friend 🎨 It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed a fellow artist for this corner, so what better time than now while I’m away on travel!
Today we are joined by artist and poet-illustrator Haruka Aoki (she/they) based in Lisbon, Portugal. Her narrative art has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and her debut picture book Fitting In was released last year. I met Haruka on my Milkwood retreat this summer and instantly developed an art crush on her poetic language and witty drawings.
Meet Haruka Aoki
CYOO: How would you describe your art to someone unfamiliar with your work?
My art is about connection with the universe and everything within it, including people, animals, and plants. I'm really interested in connecting with fellow living breathing creatures with whom we share this world. I also think my art is about feeling the softness and slowness of this world as much as we can. There's a lot of beauty there.
What tools are you commonly using nowadays?
Oh my gosh, so many things. I'll use random scraps of paper that I find with glue. And I just started using a glass nib that my partner found in his suitcase, which is really fun. I think I prefer it more than the metal nibs. And of course, handy dandy Procreate and Photoshop.
Your art and lettering is very distinctive. Have you ever experienced any style crises on how you make your art? And how have you seen your art transform over the years?
I think my art has to do so much with how I want to be in the world, so the art changes depending on that. When I was eleven I used to take oil painting classes, and that was very slow and strict. I was learning in this environment with other adults, so as I became a very serious 11-year-old.
When I started to want to do art again after being in corporate America for a while, I could only use black and white in Photoshop, because I was so scared to use color or texture. But now there's way more freedom and my art also looks happier. It almost reminds me of the singer Sam Smith. In their previous albums, they look and seem a bit sad. And now their current work is like exploding color, and they're more comfortable with their body and identity. I definitely resonate with that, where the art follows how I am as a person at the time.
Do you find that to be a reflection that you realize after the fact, or is it a conscious process as you're changing?
Before I don't think I really knew how to understand the winds of my desires or feelings. Now it's more conscious where I'll want to try something new. It's like the feeling of wind on your finger out on the ocean and knowing which direction the wind is blowing. I'll know when I'm really excited and I can follow it.
That's a great way to put it. What do you think text brings to your art?
Initially I was thinking, are they like a married couple? But no, they're more like animals that support each other. Text and image sometimes seem so dissimilar, but in fact, they're very symbiotic. It's like the oxpecker bird that perches on hippos. They like to eat whatever parasites and insects that are found on the hippopotamus' back. I feel like that is very much the relationship of the writing and art—they help each other.
In my process I usually start with the writing. Even when I pitch ideas, I write them first. Writing is like the spine of my work. Afterwards the right art and characters will come.
You recently came out with your first picture book Fitting In, which took about seven years from the initial idea to the final product. How did you trust that idea and bring it to fruition?
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to work with someone on the project so it wouldn't just be me. I worked with John Olson, a friend from art school, and we had lots of great conversations on how to proceed and what to do next. We even took a pause, for example. It's also great to work with someone you really respect; I definitely had a graphic design crush on him.
In your blog post series for SCBWI, you wrote about your need to connect with and support other artists. How do you incorporate that day to day?
It's such a special thing to have friends who are artists. I can't help but share other artists' work if I really believe in it or know how they great they are as a person. There must be something within my DNA strand that is very intensely supportive. I've received that support as well, so I know how great it feels.
How do you balance time spent connecting with other artists and time spent on your own?
At this point in my life, I don't have to see my friends every day. They understand that if I'm in the middle of a project and they won't see me for three months, that's fine.
Now that I've moved to Lisbon, I'll do work sessions with my artists friends over Zoom for two to four hour stretches, which I love. It feels like the camaraderie of working in the library together during school.
Speaking of your move to Lisbon, how else have you felt that the move changing your practice?
I think way more deeply now about my art as a way of life. When I lived in New York, I was much more focused on my accomplishments. I really wanted to get certain accolades to show myself that I was capable and worthy of something. But now I'm seeing that I'm slower with everything that I do. The other day I missed my first meeting ever, and I was like, wow, that's actually really cool. I'd never done that before.
With all of this slowness and introspection, I'm able to think about what I want to produce and my art has gotten more experimental. The move has helped me believe in the joy and kindness of the world and other people.
How do you approach your art outside of commissions and book work? Do you find that to be more playful and experimental?
Lately I'm collaborating more with artists who work in other forms, like my friend who is a rapper and another who is a poet. They both give me so much freedom to express and there's a rich foundation of trust that we can always fall back on. Because of that, I feel like I can play in those projects. For commissions, by this point the art directors that I work with know that I will get bored if I do the same style and story all the time. So the people that I like to work with are ones that give me freedom and encourage different styles.
Do you have any words of advice for artists who want to incorporate more of themselves into their art?
Don't be afraid to pick some flowers from your soul. Each person has an abundance of emotions and thoughts. People might hesitate to share them because they think it's too personal, or they've seen a similar story told by another person, or they think their story isn't good enough. But I am very interested in what what you have to say and what you believe in, even things like why you don't like mint or why you love curry. All of these things are so fascinating. Each story can connect with someone, whether that's one person or 100,000 people. It can really actually change someone's life, and that's a great thing.
Thank you so much to Haruka for sharing her process & insights! You can see more of Haruka’s work on her Instagram, website, and Substack newsletter. If you have any additional questions or discussion fodder for Haruka, please drop them in the comments 🌺 And don't be afraid to pick some flowers from your soul this weekend (how perfect is that!)
“Don't be afraid to pick some flowers from your soul.” -- I loved this line and the whole interview. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for this - you have amazing art friends!