Illustration med djungelmotiv av Ryoji Arai

Bold, mischievous and unpredictable

Ryôji Arai is a Japanese picture book artist living in Tokyo. His production of picture books is both large and varied – from small books for toddlers, to picture books of nonsense, fairytales and poetry, both with his own texts and those of other writers. He has also worked with advertising, magazine illustration and theatre set design.

Quick facts

Name Ryôji Arai
Birthyear 1956, Yamagata
Country Japan
Profession Picture book artist
Award year 2005

The jury’s motivation

"Ryôji Arai is an illustrator with a style all of his own: bold, mischievous and unpredictable. His picturebooks glow with warmth, playful good humour and an audacious spontaneity that appeals to children and adults alike. In adventure after adventure, colour flows through his hands in an almost musical way. As a medium for conveying stories to children, his art is at once genuine and truly poetic, encouraging children to paint and to tell their own stories."