art + illustration winner
yasuko toda
“ I loved the story behind Yasuko’s work, and how she used lockdown to connect with not only her immediate environment, but also Australia’s unique landscape of Indigenous flora. As a fellow immigrant, I have been educating myself on the incredibly rich history of Australia’s First Peoples and their caretaking of this land – I commend Yasuko for bringing it into her work in her own way.”
Jeremy Wortsman, founder and director of The Jacky Winter Group, Good Stuff art + illustration judge
Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m an illustrator and artist from Tokyo. I also do animation, zines, manga and conceptual art.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? My dream was always to become an artist; I was obsessed with drawing ever since I was little. When I was younger, I really admired the French painter Marie Laurencin.
Tell us about your winning entry. Australia is best known in Japan for its post-invasion colonial culture. Lockdowns brought my attention to my local environment and I realised that a rich ecology of native plants existed aeons before white settlement. I wanted to celebrate this unique and interesting flora with a postcard set.
How do you stay inspired? My inspiration is drawn from everything I see in my daily life. I really appreciate the product, graphic and interior design I see in Sydney – it’s happier and more colourful than what I’m used to in Tokyo.
I have a passion
