Getting to Know Tokyo’s Dynamic Creative Duo YAMEPI©︎ and TAKERU©︎

It was a particularly hot morning following days of heavy rain at the Jakarta Illustration and Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) when acclaimed artist and illustrator born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, YAMEPI©︎ and his twin and creative collaborator TAKERU©︎, chief editor of COMET MAGAZINE, finally set foot at the venue last Friday (27/09). As one of the guest artists of the event, YAMEPI©︎ along with TAKERU©︎ arrived the night prior in time for the artist signing session that day. Grafis Masa Kini was able to sit down with the twins to discuss their creative journey as artists.

Born in 2001, the brothers are particularly in tune with Tokyo’s young creative scene. As an artist that has firmly grounded himself in the street art scene with his signature character called ‘BOYS’, YAMEPI©︎’s illustration style is something truly reflective of his own persona and unique taste. Meanwhile, YAMEPI©︎’s creative collaborator and an artist in his own right, TAKERU©︎ is at the helm of the collective’s  independent publication series titled COMET MAGAZINE as chief editor. Clearly seen in this publication is their deep understanding of the Tokyo creative scene as well as their own creative flavor.

Drawing has been a part of the twins' lives from early in their childhood. Both YAMEPI©︎ and TAKERU©︎ studied art in the same university. However, the twins are pursuing their higher education in separate faculties as TAKERU©︎ majored in design and YAMEPI©︎ majored in oil painting. The brothers continue to collaborate together into their careers, having held an exhibition together earlier this year in February. That exhibition, titled YAMATOTAKERU, showcased YAMEPI©︎’s ‘BOYS’, which he has also brought over to this year’s edition of JICAF, alongside TAKERU©︎’s polar bear character ‘KUMA’. 

YAMEPI©︎ explained that ‘BOYS’ is a character he had been consistently drawing and developing in the last two years. His creative practice is greatly informed by his intrigue of Ura-Harajuku culture. “I’m really interested in 90s and early 00s Ura-Hara culture. So, I started to research deeply into this and that began to influence my art,” YAMEPI©︎ explained. With both brothers being active in Tokyo’s fashion sphere not only as tastemakers but also as professional models, it is only natural that ‘BOYS’ would also be influenced by YAMEPI©︎’s personal style. “These are my clothes,” he said. The outfits adorned by the character are a reflection of YAMEPI©︎’s own personal wardrobe and the trends nowadays in Tokyo. While ‘BOYS’ is not explicitly a self-portrait, it’s clear to see that YAMEPI©︎’s persona and his character designs seem to exist in a symbiotic loop where one feeds the other. Alongside prints and keychains adorning his work, a particularly eye-catching item in his JICAF catalog is the backpack in the shape of his character in that characteristic YAMEPI©︎ red.

The brothers are clearly no strangers to collaboration. Discussion is at the core of all their creative collaborations, often with TAKERU©︎ talking YAMEPI©︎ through interesting points in his research and YAMEPI©︎ interpreting these ideas in his work. The twins are clearly used to creating and working together. COMET MAGAZINE is another example of how well they work together as a duo. Together with photographer KOSEI, and sculptor JUJIRO, the creative collective fittingly called COMET, released the first issue of their magazine,  featuring TOKYO,  in May, 2024. The publication is a colorful snapshot into Tokyo’s youth culture—full of interviews with YAMEPI©︎ himself,  and many other Tokyo-based Gen Z tastemakers. A summer issue focusing on the Harajuku area was released  August 31, 2024. Both magazines are available for purchase at JICAF 2024. 

There is a certain honest quality in both YAMEPI©︎ and TAKERU©︎’s work. As young artists who are quickly gaining a following both in Japan and abroad, the brothers continue to stay true to their roots as Tokyo natives. Additionally, YAMEPI©︎ is fairly firm in his creative positioning as an artist in the Japanese street art world. “I don't want my work to be seen as high art,” YAMEPI©︎ stated. He went on to explain that his work is meant to be approachable—art that is entrenched in and reflects the communities that influence YAMEPI©︎ both artistically and personally. This honesty is also evident in their approach when taking on creative challenges. As creatives, both YAMEPI©︎ and TAKERU©︎ are no strangers to creative blocks, but they differ in their approach to overcoming that block. YAMEPI©︎ consciously allows himself time away from creating. “I stop creating output and look for input instead,” YAMEPI©︎ said, explaining that he would take time to look for inspiration elsewhere rather than push through the block and force himself to be creative. On the other hand, TAKERU©︎ amusingly explained that he takes a more straightforward approach. “I just sleep and get some rest,” TAKERU©︎ chuckled.

With this rapidly growing popularity, comes a variety of collaboration opportunities. As both artists and models, the twins have had ample opportunity to work with big and notable brands. For YAMEPI©︎, a collaboration that has left a particular impression is his work with fashion brand Puma. YAMEPI©︎ was enlisted to design graphic tees adorned with his ‘BOYS’—the character in muted grays and pastels as well as that signature YAMEPI©︎ red. “It was quite challenging because of the size of the print. So it was a bit of a struggle to find the right placement of the head and legs and the overall pose of the ‘BOYS’,” YAMEPI©︎ relayed. But even with a collaboration with Puma under their belts, neither YAMEPI©︎ nor TAKERU©︎ are ready to stop growing. Going forward, both YAMEPI©︎ with the ‘BOYS’ and TAKERU©︎ with COMET MAGAZINE hope to take over the global stage, showcasing their world and unique style to audiences all over the world.