Contrary to everything I’ve been taught about writing pretty much anything, I’m starting this bit with a rhetorical question (and a damn good one at that). Tell me, kids: where would gaming be without the artists?

That’s right—absolutely nowhere. We wouldn’t have Link’s green tunic, Mario’s red hat and overalls, Snake’s badass eye-patch and bandanna, Katamari’s—er—Katamari, Cloud’s pointy yellow hair, or any of the Resident Evil zombies for that matter. These talented men and women have been giving us delicious eye-candy for years now, and it’s about time they get some recognition.

I ran into Juri H. at VGXpo 2009 (arguably the worst con I’d ever been to). She was the shining light of the expo, offering passersby the opportunity to view an absolutely stunning portfolio and the chance to take some of this work home with them for a measly ten bucks. I was floored by her work, and it was then that it occurred to me that these artists deserve some recognition (at least those with talent, anyway—har har!).

So once a month Ill be showcasing one of these artists, their work, and a spiffy little interview so you can learn more about them. I’m proud to introduce Juri H. as my first Binge Gamer Featured Artist. No joke, her work inspired this feature. Her art is fantastic, vibrant, and downright beautiful.

Interview machine gooooooooo!

Tell us a little about yourself (who you are, where you’re from, where you currently live, if you go to art school and where you go, etc.).

I’m Juri H. from Japan, living in NJ currently. I came to the U.S.A. in 2004 to study psychology and intended to be a psychotherapist, but couldn’t ignore my passion toward art, so I transferred to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated in 2008 majoring in Illustration.

My oldest memory is having a huge desire of wanting draw the shadow of a chandelier in the hotel lobby where my grandparents took me when I was two-and-a-half. Passion for drawing has been with me since I can remember.

What motivated you to pursue a career as an artist?

Hmmm, it’s hard question. I just want to draw and paint, so it doesn’t have to be a career as long as I can draw and paint. But nothing can make me as happy as art, so I’m just trying to be happy. I guess that’s the motivation.

What’s your favorite medium to work with?

Pencil and white Conté on brown paper and watercolor. But I like oil and color pencil too.

What artists have been your greatest influences?

There are so many artists I love, so it’s hard to say. Mucha, Bouguereau, Klimt, Rembrandt, and Vermeer are top five. I love something classical, elegant, and feminine. Also Kinuko Y Craft is my living hero. Not only because she is also from Japan and succeeding in Fantasy art—the area I want to be in—but also she is amazing as a person.

What are some of your favorite games?

I haven’t play video games for the longest time, but FFVI was one of my favorites. I loved Popolo Crois and The Legend of the Holy Sword 3, but I don’t think they were released in U.S.A.

Who are your favorite characters to draw/paint?

Fairies, angels, goddesses, or an innocent looking girl in a fantasy setting. If it has to be anime/game, that will be Major from Ghost in the Shell.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve worked on, and what’s the story behind it?

This one could be my favorite since this came out just as I wanted it to be (I usually don’t like my pieces). This was my homework for self portrait assignment in the school and I hate doing self-portraits, so I tried to hide my face and have fun putting my favorite elements like wings. The wings also symbolize my imagination, growing all over my body. I’m trying to pull them off to not drain in the delusion, but at the same time I’m holding them to my imagination not leaving me.

Ultimately, where do you want to go with your art career-wise?

I want to get published with classic fairytale children’s book eventually. That’s my ultimate goal, but I want to try video game character design in U.S.A. or fantasy book covers too.

What do you do when you’re not busy drawing or painting, aka what are your hobbies and how do you pay the bills?

I love reading and cooking. That’s what I do when I don’t feel like painting. I also like playing piano, knitting, and taking photos. When I used to live in Japan, I did traditional Japanese flower arrangement and tea ceremony practice in my spare time, but I don’t have enough tools and space to do them in U.S.A. currently. I want to do these again once my life gets more settled.

The way of paying bills? Some art gigs for small graphic design companies, coloring comics, selling prints at conventions, and taking commissions from people wanting naked Sephiroth fan art to people in need a serious oil painting portrait to hang on top of their fireplace. Surprisingly, putting them all together will be enough to feed me and my dog.

So where can your fans go to find more of your work?

• All my pieces including doodles
• Selected portfolio
• Comic coloring

If you think you have what it takes to be a Binge Gamer Featured Artist, contact me at perry.piekarski@bingegamer.net with some links to your stuff. Your work needs to be at least somewhat related to video games, and I make no promises. If you’ve got the goods, you get the interview. Simple as that.

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