Yukiko Noritake
Yukiko Noritake studied French in Japan before moving to Paris to study art. Her graduation project at École de Condé became her first picture book, and a later one, Forêt des Frères, was translated into seven languages. Today she works for brands such as Louis Vuitton and Piaget and paints her own series alongside. The streets of Paris, where she lives, are one of her main subjects. For Intérieur Imaginaire she designed every room herself and filled them with animals. There are no people inside because, she says, a person would turn the space into "someone else's room."
Q: You started out illustrating picture books, and Forêt des Frères was translated into seven languages. How did you get from there to painting?
A: As part of my graduation project at art school, I created a picture book, which was published the following year. It felt like a natural progression to begin my career as a picture book illustrator. As a recent graduate, I was eager to embrace every opportunity that came my way. I wanted to be recognized, so I was highly driven and worked tirelessly.
Over time, however, I realized that to sustain a long-term career as an artist, I needed to continue expressing a world of my own, rather than always being guided by someone else's vision. I see this as an essential part of my creative practice—a space to explore my ideas and expand my possibilities.
Although most of my time is dedicated to client work, I consciously make space for personal paintings and continue developing my own artistic language.
Q: You come back to Paris again and again in your art. What keeps you there?
A: I think the main reason is my fascination with Paris's cohesive cityscape and artistic architecture. I'm also drawn to the way the city brings together its historic beauty and culture with contemporary art, design, fashion, and culture that are constantly evolving.
For my solo exhibition in Japan in early 2025, I revisited the landscapes I had captured while walking around Paris, reinterpreting them through my own sense of color.
Q: In Intérieur Imaginaire you designed every room yourself. What kind of place were you building?
A: The main reason was my desire to paint an ideal space of my own. I've always been drawn to architecture, decoration, design objects, and furniture, and I love exploring interiors, both in Paris and while traveling. I'm fascinated by how the culture and history of each place are reflected in its details, and by spaces where architecture and carefully designed gardens transform nature into something beautifully crafted.
When I look through interior design magazines or books, each space can stir my emotions like waves. It feels like a journey in which I project myself into each interior, discovering a new version of myself along the way. This inspired me to explore the infinite possibilities of color, architecture, and interior design.
In the Intérieur Imaginaire series, I create spaces that feel both familiar and unreal—somewhere between reality and a dream—through surreal compositions and unexpected uses of color.
Q: How did animals end up in these rooms?
A: When I wanted to bring a sense of life into the rooms, I chose to place animals in them instead of depicting people. I felt that the moment a person appeared, the space would suddenly become "someone else's room," making it harder for the viewer to project themselves into it.
Animals, on the other hand, have an innocence to them, and their anthropomorphic presence in these interiors creates a sense of fantasy. I was also drawn to the visual possibilities of their organic forms: contrasted with the geometric architecture and the colors of the background, they create an interesting tension within the composition.
Q: You work for Louis Vuitton and Piaget alongside your own exhibitions. What's different when you paint for a brand?
A: Unlike personal projects, where I develop a concept from scratch and create independently, working with brands usually begins with a clear brief. The project's direction determines elements such as the subject matter and color palette.
The visual language needs to reflect each brand's history and editorial identity, while still making the artist's own "patte"—their signature and creative imprint—clearly visible.
I find it exciting to work within a defined framework while expressing as much of my own identity as possible. Brand projects also expose me to art direction and aesthetics I might not otherwise encounter, making them valuable learning experiences that undoubtedly enrich my own visual language.
Some projects involve large teams, and that sense of dynamism is another aspect that feels very different from the spirit of working independently.
Q: What are you working on at the moment? Anything coming up?
A: Since around this summer, I've been working on several projects with different brands. Some have already been completed, while others are still in progress. I have several projects that I'll be able to share and present over the coming winter.
I also hope to continue presenting new work regularly through the galleries I collaborate with.
