Kinuko Y. Craft, 1940 | Fantasy painter

Kinuko Yamabe Craft /キヌコヤマベ・クラフト/ is an Japanese-born American contemporary painter, illustrator and Fantasy artist.

Kinuko Craft is one of the most widely respected and well known fantasy artists in the United States today. Her past commissions have included paintings for the book covers of many well known fantasy authors, opera posters, fairy tale books and covers for many national magazines.

During her career Kinuko Craft has become known for meticulous attention to detail, a passionate love of fine art and a deep knowledge of art history.

Craft illustrated the cover art of the older editions of Shakespeare's work for the Folger Library.

She has a passionate love of European fine art and draws on a deep knowledge of European art history in creating her work.

She is most inspired by the works of Leonardo da Vinci, the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolist painters.

Her work is done with a combination of artist oils and watercolor on clayboard gesso panels.

She was born in Japan and came to the United States in the early sixties where she continued studies in design and illustration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a year and a half.

Subsequently, she worked for several years in well known Chicago art studios.

By the end of the decade her work was in wide demand and she had begun her long and successful career as a free-lance illustrator.

For most of this time she worked in editorial and advertising markets where her work regularly appeared in national magazines and newspapers.

Since the mid 1990’s, Kinuko Craft has concentrated on children's picture books, fantasy book jackets and poster designs.

Her original work and fine art prints are currently represented by Borsini-Burr Gallery in Montara, CA. Kinuko Craft's work has been recognized repeatedly by professional art and design publications, competitions and shows, garnering numerous awards over the years

Craft is a graduate (BFA 1964) of the Kanazawa College of Art (Kanazawa Bijutsu Kōgei Daigaku).

She later studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she continued her studies in design and illustration.

A majority of her earlier work was for the editorial and advertising market.

Since the mid-1990s, she has concentrated her efforts on art for fantasy book jackets, opera posters, and has illustrated eight picture books (fairy tale and classic mythology) designed for children and young readers.

She has collaborated with many authors and worked with her husband Mahlon F. Craft and her daughter Marie Charlotte Craft. Her original paintings, drawings, and limited-edition prints are represented by Borsini-Burr Gallery in Montara, CA, and others.

Kinuko Craft considers her self a Story Teller. Her fairy tale books are currently distributed in the USA, other English language countries, Europe, Greece, China and Korea.

Her art is also widely licensed on calendars, posters, greeting cards and other consumer goods.

Her work has been widely exhibited and is now in private collections in New York City, Atlanta GA, Santa Barbara CA, Dallas TX, Connecticut, San Francisco CA, Italy, Japan and Greece.

It can also be found public collections at The National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, The Cornish Colony Museum in Windsor, VT, The Museum of American Illustration in New York City, The National Geographic Society and other corporate collections.

Her art has been licensed on calendars, posters, greeting cards, and other consumer goods. Her fairy tale books are currently distributed in the USA, other English-speaking countries, Europe, Greece, China, and Korea.

She has received numerous awards for her work, including several gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators, New York, NY. Ms. Craft’s work can be found in the collections of National Portrait Gallery (United States), the Museum of American Illustration in New York City, the National Geographic Society, and other corporate collections.

She has been nominated five times since 2001 as a Best Artist for the World Fantasy Awards.

Craft has also lectured and given workshops at numerous art schools, universities, and organizations, including Art Center College of Art and Design, San Jose State University, Rhode Island School of Design, Philadelphia College of the Arts (2012), and more.

Craft is now represented by Richard Solomon Artists Representative in New York City.

Kinuko Y. Craft è una artista Giapponese, pittrice ad illustratore di Fantasia. Craft si è trasferita negli Stati Uniti nel 1964, dove continua a vivere e lavorare oggi.

Craft è attualmente una delle artiste più famose in America nel campo dell'Arte Fantastica. Personalità di grande talento e sensibilità ha conseguito innumerevoli riconoscimenti nel corso della sua carriera, contribuendo con stile unico e ricercato al patrimonio dell'illustrazione fantastica internazionale. La sua dichiarata ispirazione ai maestri della tradizione pittorica italiana costituisce un ulteriore elemento di ammirazione da parte del pubblico nostrano.

La sua arte ha incluso dipinti per le copertine di libri di molti autori di fantasia ben noti come Patricia A. McKillip, Juliet Marillier, Tanith Lee e molti altri. Ha anche disegnato manifesti d'opera, fata racconto libri e dipinti copertine di molte riviste nazionali come Tempo, Newsweek e National Geographic.

Kinuko si basa su una profonda conoscenza della storia dell'arte europea nella creazione del suo lavoro. E più ispirata dalle opere di Leonardo da Vinci, dei Pre-Raffaelliti e dei pittori Simbolisti.

Il suo lavoro è fatto con una combinazione di oli di artisti e acquerello su pannelli di gesso clayboard.

Craft è laureata (BFA 1964) del Kanazawa College of Art (Kanazawa Bijutsu Kogei Daigaku).

In seguito ha studiato presso la Scuola di Art Institute di Chicago, dove ha proseguito gli studi in design e illustrazione.

La maggior parte del suo precedente lavoro era per il mercato editoriale e pubblicitario.

Dalla metà degli anni 1990, ha concentrato i suoi sforzi su arte per copertine di libri fantasia, manifesti d'opera, e ha illustrato otto libri illustrati (fiabe e mitologia classica) progettati per i bambini ed i giovani lettori.

Le opere della Craft hanno ricevuto oltre cento premi, tra cui il Gold Award Spectrum 7 (2000), il successivo Gold Award Spectrum 8 con un poster per l'Opera di Dallas (2001), un Gran Master Award Spectrum 9 (2002) e contemporaneamente i Chesley Awards 2001 e 2002, ritenuti i Premi Hugo per antonomasia nel campo dell'Arte Fantastica.

Riconoscimenti prestigiosi sono giunti anche da parte di organizzazioni accademiche.

L'Associazione degli Illustratori d'America le ha conferito un King Hamilton Award (1987), cui son seguite 5 medaglie d'oro nel corso di diverse mostre promosse dall'associazione stessa.

Diversi suoi dipinti sono oggi inclusi nelle collezioni permanenti di importanti istituzioni e musei, quali la National Geographic Society a Washington e il Museo dell'Illustrazione Americana di New York.