This is one of Canadian Art Junkie’s all-time reader favourites, from the archives.
Montreal-based Raku Inoue is an artist, illustrator, sculptor and photographer who works in polymer clay to produce 3D illustrations, butterflies, masks and other stunning works. (Above, Below: Theatrical masks)
He does intriguing fantasy scenes.
His huge variety of butterflies are mounted in shadow boxes.
Detail from the wing of a larger butterfly
Love his caterpillars.
His illustrations are stunning (Seadragon, and Seadragon detail)
Born in suburban Tokyo in 1983, he spent his early childhood watching anime, reading manga and discovering living creatures, especially insects, which proliferate in Japan: “I believe that living in such a place, surrounded by a large variety of elements had a powerful influence on my creativity.” He immigrated to Canada when he was 9.
Raku Inoue is on Behance here
Canadian Art Junkie 
Reblogged this on Jennifer Lynn Smith and commented:
Oh how I loved Polymer Clay as a child – what are you doing to embrace your inner artist?
LikeLike
Amazing work. Glad to have viewed it.
LikeLike
his work is so intricate, thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
You’re welcome, and I agree. It must take incredible patience. Thanks.
LikeLike
I am beyond awed…I appreciate your art and the absolute details that stand out, almost to the point that I feel like I could almost reach out and touch them.
LikeLike
Thank you Anna, for taking the time to leave those thoughts. Very much appreciated. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.
LikeLike
Thank you for the comment!
always appreciated.
I am hoping to see you all once the exhibition is ready.
working very hard at it right now!
LikeLike
Wow such detail in this art… fantastic!
LikeLike
Exactly. It’s the detail that really makes it, I agree.
LikeLike
It is lovely and the up close shots really show it off
LikeLike
As promised a wrote a little review and displayed a few pics of the things I saw last weekend at the Magda Danysz Gallery in Shanghai. Here is the link if you want to check it out 🙂
http://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/canadian-connections-shanghai-art-gallery/
LikeLike
Went to the link, really enjoyable post, thank you.
LikeLike
Thanks 🙂 I’ll be sure to stop by and see you again too. Love the art! Especailly the clay this week.
LikeLike
Fantastic!!
LikeLike
So glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLike
Thank you Joan for sharing my work! Your support is heart-warming.
and of course, thanks to everyone who has commented!
I realize that some of you has some question…I will try to answer them whenever I get a chance so if you have any other question, please do not hesitate!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for filling in a few of these answers. I’m so pleased to hear about a Montreal exhibition. I will watch for it, and I’d guess there will be others interested as well. I love taking the train to Montreal and wandering, browsing galleries and – now – coming to see your exhibition when it arrives.
LikeLike
sounds great! I will let you know when the time comes!
Thanks again!
LikeLike
Whenever I see this sort of thing I think I should play with the process. So cool. I know I have some Fimo somewhere in my craft room. Hmmmmm… Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment. I agree it’s so enticing to imagine trying out any small part of this kind of work. It’s so creative, and unrestricted.
LikeLike
Oh, I LOVE these! I’d so enjoy seeing them in person…how exquisite and detailed…Thank you!
LikeLike
That’s a good point. I don’t know if he has a studio, or does exhibitions. I didn’t see any mention of that. It would be interesting to see them head-on, agreed.
LikeLike
I am currently working on my exhibition to take place here in Montreal. There is still a lot to do but I hope to exhibit by late next year….too much to do not enough time…story of my life…
LikeLike
Magnificent … lovely colour combinations
LikeLike
I’m always so amazed by an artist’s color sense, because there are so many of those colors side by side that I never would have thought of blending.
LikeLike
How right you are, it has always been a passion for me and I have on many occasions picked up a board and tried my hand at painting… I think one needs to be born with a certain blessing to be able to do this type artistry… I end up by getting the most pathetic looking picture with no colour sense at all… and because of that I’ll stick to my camera…
LikeLike
Beautiful! Absolutely love the colors in the last two works..
LikeLike
Those are the colors that first caught my eye. Beautiful combination, I agree.
LikeLike
What amazing work! I’m guessing these are fairly small, so this is very intricate work? Thanks!
LikeLike
Yes, most of the works are small, especially the mounted butterflies. There are some large ones, though. He’s shown making one of the big ones on this Vimeo video if you want to see more. http://vimeo.com/38010728
LikeLike
my polymer clay butterflies sizes vary from small size(hand palm size) to big size (13-16 inches).
LikeLike
I never know what to expect when I come here!
LikeLike
And that’s how I hope it will always be! Kick me if it ever gets routine.
LikeLike
You got!
LikeLike
These are amazing pieces…I am not artistic so my appreciation of the skill is maybe a little over the top but I don’t care…this is just way too cool!!!
LikeLike
I don’t think you’re over the top at all. They really are quite unique. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
LikeLike
thanks for the kind words! always appreciated!
being an artist is to give a certain value to what you do…you can be artistic by painting a beautiful piece on a canvas but you can also be artistic by doing something very normal like cooking a perfect sunny-side -up eggs in the morning….this is what my mentor taught me once…So anyone can be an artist! Just love what you do, what ever that is…and people will recognize your passion.
LikeLike