Shimmering and sweet, both charming and relaxing, Mitsuko Shimoda's work depicts a world where cuteness and horror coexist. Living in Nagano, Japan, Shimoda initially studied illustration at the prestigious Saga University of Arts and Aoyama Juku School in Kyoto before beginning her career as a professional contemporary artist in 2008. Shortly after, she was selected to have her first solo exhibition at the Motto Gallery in Tokyo and has since exhibited in galleries around the world, including Japan, the United States, Canada and Europe.
Inspired by the Japanese manga and anime of her youth, Shimoda's work expresses modern issues in colorful illustrative techniques. Often depicting starry-eyed children, she dresses her characters in heroic costumes similar to Superman and magical girls, a sub-genre of anime for young girls that uses magic to reveal issues and struggles in contemporary society through the juxtaposition of brushstrokes, text, and collage. These characters are a commentary on the Christian anointing of Jesus Christ as the savior of mankind and a mirror of our fantasy heroes. They also represent our adult desire to raise the children of the world and defend the world we build.