Charming illustrations of Lennon, Hockney and other characters by Yu Nagaba

Date
1 March 2016

Tokyo-based illustrator Yu Nagaba manages to convey so much in black, white and simple line work. He came to our attention thanks to a collaboration with T-shirt company Beams and fashion brand Goodhood, which sees his sweet little images work superbly across simple white garments. But aside from these mega cool collabs, Yu’s online portfolio is a veritable treasure trove of characters to get lost in. His John Lennon portraits are perfect in their simplicity, making humorous references to pivotal points in the Scouse specs-wearer’s career. We’re also very keen on his charming Hockney and a depiction of Keith Haring, which sees him lovingly tickle his own little dogs.

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration

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Yu Nagaba: Illustration, Goodhood and Beams collaboration

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Left

Yu Nagaba: Illustration, Goodhood and Beams collaboration

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About the Author

Emily Gosling

Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week. She is particularly interested in graphic design, branding and music. After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor, Emily left the company in 2016.

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