Lovely Little Yōkai

2023

Many yōkai–supernatural entities or phenomena in Japanese folklore–have been depicted in Japanese art and storytelling for centuries, particularly starting in the Edo (1603 - 1867) and Meiji (1868-1912) period. These unexplainable experiences and stories are still retold presently with a plethora of variations. The behavior of yōkai ranges from kind, passive, and benevolent beings to dangerous, deceptive, and malicious monsters. Sometimes, a yōkai can be a blessing for one group but a disaster for another. 

I am particularly intrigued by yōkai who started as ordinary humans, but have then transformed into yōkai–or yōkai that can eventually change themselves into human guise or possess human qualities. Living or dead, many of these beings still possess ordinary thoughts and emotions while existing in the living world. It almost begs the question on what constitutes being human or monster–or yōkai. Is it behavior or physical characteristics? What would scare people the most? A monstrous human or a human-like monster? Does being good or evil even correlate being more or less human or monster, or is it all just a spectrum? This series of six digital illustrations explores a variety of human-like yōkai with the mixture of beauty and eeriness, and curiosity and danger.

Made in Adobe Photoshop.