Meet the Team
Mayuko Fujino, Artist (she/her)
Photo (C) Luke Franke, National Audubon Society
Rego Fujino, Studio Assistant (she/her)
Nature-inspired, hand-crafted illustrations with a Japanese folk art aesthetic
I am a self-taught paper cutout and stencil artist from Japan based in Columbia County, NY. Inspired by traditional Japanese stencil textile designs and the Mingei folk art movement, I have been making art since 1999 for clients such as the National Audubon Society, Atlantic Magazine, and the Nature Conservancy.
I am a birder and often find inspiration in the natural landscapes and country life in the Hudson Valley. My goal is to connect with nature lovers and support environmental conservation works through my art. I am currently serving as a board member of the Alan Devoe Bird Club in Columbia County.
If you want to learn more about my path as an artist, creative process, and philosophy, please read my interview with the Natural Earth Paint.
My greeting cards and art prints are produced in-house and on-demand, using high-quality paper made from sustainable sources. (Available at my Etsy shop.)
Radio has been a big part of my life since 2015. (My radio shows) I host a monthly radio program Beakuency: Meet Bird People in Hudson Valley! on Wave Farm's WGXC, a community radio station based in Greene County, NY.
For illustration commission inquiries, please contact my agent IllustrationX.
Visit my online shop to purchase original artwork, art print, note cards.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
My works have been exhibited internationally at locations such as Megumi Ogita Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), the Old Jaffa Museum (Tel Aviv, Israel), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Copenhagen, Denmark), and Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and featured in a book which introduces 25 of the world's top papercraft artists written and compiled by noted papercraft illustrator Owen Gildersleeve entitled Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration.
HAND-CRAFTED STENCIL PAINTING MAKING PROCESS
All of my pieces are hand-painted with stencils which I hand-cut. This means every piece is unique and slightly different from the others.
Workflow (watch the video below to see it in action)
1. create a draft 2. cut the stencil 3. paint using the stencil
I used to make paper-cutout art but switched to stencil painting a few years ago. It allows me to re-create the same composition several times which helps me keep the prices of my pieces affordable. I believe craftsmanship shouldn't be only for those who are wealthy and I like printmaking as a means of democratizing art.
