Yuko Shimizu

freelance illustrator

About

YUKO SHIMIZU (清水裕子) is a multi-award-winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City. Yuko is also an instructor at The School of Visual Arts and has 20+ years of experience illustrating. Yuko is a two-time Hugo Award nominee (2019, 2020), has earned multiple Clio Awards (2023), and has won more than 15 medals from the Society of Illustrators since 2004. She was awarded the Caldecott Honor in 2021 and 2025, one of the highest awards for picture books, for her work on the children’s book The Cat Man of Aleppo (Penguin, 2020) and Up, Up, Ever Up! (Clarion, 2024). Yuko was also chosen as one of the “100 Japanese People the World Respects (世界が尊敬する日本人１００）” by Newsweek Japan in 2009. Yuko is selected to be a member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) since 2023. (She did NOT design Hello Kitty.)

Country

United States

City

New York

Industry

Design

Skill

Illustration, Digital Illustration, Comics, University Teaching, Public Relations, Public Speaking

Experience

freelance illustrator

2003-5 - Present · 23 yrs 5 mos

award-winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City. She was selected as one of “100 Japanese People The World Respects” (世界が尊敬する日本人１０0) by Newsweek Japan in 2009. Among comic fans, she is best known for her ongoing monthly covers for The Unwritten from DC Comics Vertigo

illustration instructor

School of Visual Arts

2003-8 - Present · 23 yrs 2 mos

has been teaching mainly BFA Sophomore and Senior courses, as well as working as a personal advisor to MFA illustration students.

guest instructor, MFA Illustration

Fashion Institute of Technology

2011-6 - 2011-6 · 1 mo

Greater New York City Area

taught one week intensive evening course for MFA Illustration program.

PR department

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

1988-4 - 1999-7 · 11 yrs 4 mos

Within 23 wards, Tokyo, Japan

worked in corporate PR, editor in chief of company and employee magazines as well as assistant editor of annual reports, shareholder reports and company brochures. which were awarded multiple awards during my 11 year tenure