Yoshitaka Amano (Japanese, b.1952) is an illustrator and animator best known for his work on comic books and video games. Born in Shizuoka, Japan, he developed an interest in art at an early age. After taking a job at Tatsunoko Productions in 1967, he discovered the world of anime. He worked on a number of different anime shows and movies for the company, including Speed Racer, Gatchaman, and Honeybee Hutch. Amano often drew inspiration from Western art, including the Art Nouveau and Pop Art movements. In the 1980s, he began working on comic books and graphic novels, starting with Demon City Shinjuku and Vampire Hunter D. After taking a job with Square, he began to work on video games. He created some of the characters in the original Final Fantasy video games and worked on other video games until 1994, when he decided to work on other facets of video game creation.
During his time as an animator and illustrator, Amano developed interests in art and theater. He began creating full-scale backdrops and displays for live shows. The Yurakucho Mullion in Tokyo, Japan, hosted his first show in 1989, and he had his second show at the Biennale d'Orléans in Orleans, France. Various other museums offered exhibits of his work, including the Barbican Art Centre in London, England, the Superfrog Gallery in San Francisco, CA, and The Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai in Shanghai, China.
By the 2000s, Amano discovered the world of freelance work, which gave him the chance to work with top artists such as Neil Gaiman (British, b.1960). The two worked together on Sandman: The Dream Hunters, which received a Hugo Award nomination. He also worked with Greg Rucka (American, b.1969) on Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer. When not working on graphic novels and comic books, Amano collaborated with the band Galneryus; the artist created several album covers for the group. In 2010, he opened his own production company, which works on movies and other projects. Amano currently lives and works in Paris, France, Tokyo, Japan, and New York, NY.
