ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: Everday Yōkai

Samurai swords, antique porcelain dishes, and traditional lacquerware, anime, manga, and video games, sushi, tempura, and ramen, please do not forget about sake, kimonos and… Yōkai. Does it ring bell? If not yet, then it will get familiar, very familiar, in a second. There is just one place where all of those mentioned fit in perfectly… Japan. A collectors heaven, of any kind, thanks to the culture that is almost unlike any place on Earth. Let’s start slow, mononoke – you must have heard it somewhere. That’s right the princess! How about obake, or bakemono, not at all? Ok! You should know that in Japan, there are many extraordinary ghosts, demons, and a wide variety of monsters. Some people call them bakemono for the ones that are changing things, obake if they are spoooky and mononoke used for the weirdos and mysterious types. These are like descriptions for various types of beings. Finally, the catchall term for all of them is Yōkai itself, 妖怪, meaning „strange apparition”.

All ghosts, demons, monsters, shapeshifters, tricksters, and other kinds of supernatural beings who interact with the human world deserve a special place where we can have a bit of this meet and greet, right? And here comes the Everday Yōkai. A collection of AI generated images based on the creatures of Japanese folklore. Everyday Yōkai asks the question, “What would Yōkai be like if we saw them today?” Keep and eye out and you just might see one. You ready? Let’s go.

artist: Everday Yōkai / source: Instagram

artist: Everday Yōkai / source: Instagram

If you are interested in getting to know more about Yōkai visit their amazing database here the online database of Japanese folklore! It is incredible. What so special about the Japanese folklore that lures us into it? Dunno, maybe you will get the answer by browsing through Everday Yōkai “mugshots”. Time well spend…you just got yourself a devoted follower.

artist: Everday Yōkai / source: Instagram