Caricature Japan Festa 2016 Recap
Article Transcript
Caricature Japan has started a revolution. Years ago, owner Kage Nakanishi made a bold step to invigorate his team of artists and keep them invested in the world of caricature. His plan: Give them the opportunity to experience a new way of thinking, a fresh perspective on caricatures, design, career, passion and the opportunity to meet their creative heroes firsthand. He wanted to offer the chance to make caricature art a career decision, not just a summer job or a way to pay the bills. He loves what caricature has given him, and he respects the art form so deeply that he feels honored and dutiful to pay that forward. The end result is, in my opinion, nothing short of amazing and has changed the way I look at him as a man and as a business owner and at the entire industry as a whole.
Many of you know the artists of Caricature Japan from the ISCA Conventions, but what you may not know is that Kage handpicks artists who are pushing themselves and the art form in a new direction, and he pays for them to come to the U.S. to compete, including flight, hotel costs and food. He does that so that these artists can experience the chance to see something that would normally be so out of reach. He does this because he knows how amazing ISCA is, and he feels that this act will make the community in his country stronger. I’ve seen how hard those artists work at the convention and back home, and it is inspiring.
Another way that Caricature Japan is promoting the art in Japan is Caricature Festa. Festa is a weeklong caricature extravaganza that includes seminars and tutorials where artists and guests hear life stories, watch demos, get career and life advice, and receive art products and the opportunity to purchase the guest speakers’ work, of which Caricature Japan does not take a commission. Additionally, he schedules several Festas around the country so that employees don’t have to travel far to have the experience. There are drawing days and tours to many locations around the country with the guest speakers in order to give his employees the opportunity to show their work and to take pride in their location.
Kage asks his employees whom they want to meet and who inspires them and then he brings that person to their front door. He schedules seminars and meet-and-greets. He plans dinners where the artists spend time with the guest speaker without their boss so they can let their hair down a bit and get crazy, draw each other and get inspired.
In the last 10 years, he’s welcomed an undeniable list of talent with key players such as Court Jones, Joe Bluhm, Paul Gaunt, Chris Rommel, Brian Oakes, Jan Op De Beeck, Manny Hernandez, Steve Silver and more. Beyond that, Festa also includes non-art-related stories of success, too. I’ve seen pro-wrestlers, NFL cheerleaders, local business owners and acclaimed teachers give seminars during the week.
This year, I was asked to return to Caricature Festa 2016, where Nate Kapnicky gave a presentation on the making of his Beasted book and gave an inside look at his future projects, including his pet portrait book Little Beasties. Kosuke gave a character design seminar, and my presentation focused on how the art of caricature has influenced my life, my business and every creative venture I tackle.
The high-energy week included great art, amazing food, uplifting talks, kind people and a culture that will change you forever. There was also beer at 7 a.m. from vending machines.
If you get a chance to be in Japan, check out Caricature Japan and its many locations, and if you get a chance to go to Festa, I hope you speak Japanese because the translation only goes one way. ;)
To learn more about Caricature Japan visit their website: caricature-japan.com
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