Billy Tokyo takes on an original approach to the neo-pop Japanese genre of contemporary art while blurring the boundaries between East and West art. The artist manifests his creativity in numerous mediums, including spray paints on embellished burlap, oils on linen, prints on reflective metals, gouaches and acrylics on used cardboard boxes, and photography.

Known for their enormous vitality and their "Japanese-ness" - Tokyo's anime-inspired works of art show expressive little animals (unidentifiable by breed classification) with themes that all revolve around being in, or searching for, a perfect happy world that offers absolution and tranquility.

Major influences of Tokyo's art is that of the superflat style of Takashi Murakami and the glossy kitchiness of Jeff Koons. His recent works of disillusioned women in urban settings and cityscapes were inspired by German expressionist George Grosz.

About the Artist

Billy Tokyo was born 1973 in Evanston, Illinois. He received a partial art scholarship, by the Woman's Club of Evanston, and attended Ohio University where he studied art under Aethelred Eldridge. After college in the mid-90's he worked as an advertising art director. Commercially working for such pop-culture icons as Thomas The Tank Engine and Barney contributed to the shaping of his neo-pop art style and the experimenting with flattened imagery. Tokyo resides and paints in Chicago.