SPOTLIGHT: MARIYA SUZUKI, ILLUSTRATOR

Photo Courtesy of Mariya Suzuki

Since diving into the arena of all things illustration and art in general, I have discovered quite  a handful of talented people in this world whose work have nudged me to take a closer look at my surroundings and notice all the intricate details that make up the final piece. One of those people is Tokyo-based illustrator, Mariya Suzuki.

Photo Courtesy of Mariya Suzuki

I first came across Mariya's work whilst perusing Abbey Sy's blog and have since poured (or is it scrolled?) over the drawings she has shared on her various social media channels. Her use of colour for her urban sketches and portraits on canvases of her choice - to-go cups,  sketch pads, mugs, walls and much more - is one of the many things I love about her drawings. With no more than maybe 5 colours (excluding black and white) on her pieces to highlight certain aspects of the scene she has captured, you are left to really take note of the moment and allow her interpretation of it guide you through that particular snapshot of the ordinary within her day. And that is another thing I like about her drawings - the normalcy of her subjects and the simplistic way she shares them with us. 

Photo Courtesy of Mariya Suzuki

The stationery-lover side of me was itching to know the kinds of pens she uses for her sketches. There is a photo on her blog that gives us a glimpse of what I have assumed to be her workspace and I just wanted all the pencils and pens I could make out. This obsession of mine really needs to stop. Anyway, if anyone else is weird like me and is also wondering, I have learnt that she has used Signo Pens from Uniball, Tombow markers and Posca markers to name a few some of which I already have so my account can rest easy... and maybe yours can too?

Mariya Suzuki || Photo by Haruka Sugimoto

The seemingly quick, free-flowing strokes in her sketches makes me wonder how long it usually takes her to do a drawing. I really do like the concept of art on items I can carry around with me so her to-go cup and mug illustrations are some of my favourite. To see more of Mariya's work check out her website and Instagram.