A Miyako M Illustrations
HAPA HOLIDAY VENDORS
What is your brand name?
What makes you Hapa?
Growing up half Japanese/half Irish in the Bay Area, I was surrounded by diversity but never saw people like me or who could share my experiences as I navigated my identity. Today, I try to embody the confidence in my Hapa-ness that I needed to see when I was young, with the hopes that I can be an example for younger mixed race kids.
What kind of art do you create?
Mostly watercolor illustrations of pet portraits, witchy things, and original characters, but I'm also exploring customized denim jackets, tiny acrylic paintings, painting on uchiwa fans, and digital art!
How does being Hapa apply to your work?
Mostly watercolor illustrations of pet portraits, witchy things, and original characters, but I'm also exploring customized denim jackets, tiny acrylic paintings, painting on uchiwa fans, and digital art!
I tap a lot into my Japanese heritage to inform my work— I'm currently working on a watercolor tarot deck that takes inspiration from Japanese flower language and the children's stories I grew up with, like Kaguya-hime and Momotaro. I also love the Irish tradition of story-telling, so much of my work is paired with short stories and adventures that I've written.
How long have you been an artist?
I've been creating art my whole like, but officially selling and calling myself an artist for about 5 years.
What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?
My very first Moleskine sketchbook, before I went to study abroad. I had never allowed myself to buy a "fancy" notebook, but gifted by a friend, it really made me feel like a serious artist and encouraged even more drawing!
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Prepping osechi-ryori with my family for New Year's! Most of our recipes are not written down, so my mom has been training me for my entire life to memorize how things taste, and we make a lot of it from scratch.
What are your favorite pieces of your work?
I'm very partial to my tarot deck - the Major Arcana portion (completed in 2017) was 22 paintings and took about 4 months, with a lot of personal emotion poured into it. I started the second portion earlier this year and hope to finish it before 2020 - 58 paintings for the Minor Arcana, all retellings and continuations of characters from Japanese folklore.
Where can people find your work?
What is your social media handle?