Most known for his work on FFVII or Vampire Hunter D, Yoshitaka Amano’s
work is imaginative, evoking the faces of Buddhist sculptures in the way
he draws the expressions of his subjects.
Like most U.S. Americans of
my generation, I became aware of Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork through Final
Fantasy VII (though his artwork can be traced all the way back to the
first game). I was intrigued by his artwork, as though the majority of
his compositions are done in acrylic and gold leaf (scans do not do this man’s work justice), I had been certain for quite a long time that he used watercolor and ink.
Beyond his mastery of his craft,
however, I adore his haunting, alluring style. Not until the release of
he and my favorite author Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Dream Hunters,
however, did I understand why the faces of his characters so grabbed my
attention. As a little girl, I was surrounded by the faces of carved,
wooden buddhas, and in the pages of Dream Hunters I was able to see that the facial structure and expressions resembled those statues I had always been so fond of.
Amano has several books published of
his prints, and a multitude of places on the internet where one can by
prints, mugs, t-shirts and coasters of his artwork. You can visit his
website here.
