Sagaki Keita is a Japanese artist who draws replicas of famous paintings composed of hundreds of tiny, whimsical cartoon characters.^[1] As many artists of his generation Sagaki is influenced by Japanese manga and anime culture, which he integrates in his art. Sagaki's knowledge of art history, both Japanese and European, has led him to dedicate various work cycles to main topics of art. His work has been featured in shows around the world, including Japan, Hong Kong, Germany,^[2] Taiwan^[3] and Portugal. Instead of working on a draft, Keita draws directly onto the final copy. His drawings often take months to create.^[4] Keita was born in Ishikawa, Japan in1984 and currently lives in Tokyo. He received an MFA from Fukushima University in 2008.^[5] Sagaki's art has appeared in Walk The Line: The Art of Drawing, published in 2013.^[6] In March and April 2018, The artist's work was showcased at Fabrik Gallery in Hong Kong, which featured his reinterpretations of works by Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Brueghel.^[7] His most recent work cycle is named "Hystorical Portraits". The artist recreates iconic depictions of famous people, mainly of the 20th century, as drawings and tells their biographic events, as well as the contemporary historical environment in the form of his signature whimsical characters.

References

8. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/keita-sagaki-masterpieces-manga/index.html

Artist website: https://www.sagakikeita.com/index.html