Yuko Okabe (she/they) is an illustrator and cultural worker playing at the intersection of youthful whimsy and community engagement. She holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Fellowships include RISD’s Maharam STEAM Fellowship with the Boston Children’s Hospital, RISD’s Leadership and Community Engagement Fellowship with DownCity Design, Enterprise Community Partners Rose Fellowship with North Shore Community Development Coalition, and the Walter Feldman Fellowship for Emerging Artists. She has been awarded residencies from the Walkaway House, Pao Arts Center, and Urbano Project. Okabe’s work has received recognition from the Society of Illustrators NYC, Society of Illustrators LA, Creative Quarterly, and 3x3 The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration. Collaborators include Big Cartel, Hester Street, Design Studio for Social Intervention, The New York Times, City of Boston Arts and Culture, and Light Grey Art Lab. For children’s books, she’s represented by Andrea Morrison of Writer’s House. Okabe is a proud auntie and an amateur oatmeal influencer @yukoats.

www.ykook.art
@ykook.art

Artist Statement

My practice explores themes of inclusivity and future-building narratives. In my work as an illustrator, my depiction of people and architecture establishes a world with boundless potential for different bodies, speeches, and philosophies to flourish. My artwork also serves as a visualization and communication tool, sharing messages of hope, memoir, advocacy, and joy in interdisciplinary collaborations such as healthcare, affordable housing, community development, and identity justice.