ga·ki /ˈɡa.ki/ · 餓鬼, ガキ

ガキ

Illustration practice focused on the Japanese word gaki: a bratty kid, urchin, misfit. Painted, inked, photographed.

What the studio makes

Editorial illustration of Japanese children in the gaki register. Subjects are misbehaving kids: the nine-year-old scuffing a wall, the skate kid in an oversized hoodie, the ringleader running from a shopkeeper. Work is published as series rather than one-offs.

Gaki · Yoshitomo Nara-style portrait of a bratty Japanese kid with arms crossed, soft pastel palette

Streetwear series
in production

Mischief series
in production

The word

Gaki (ガキ) is everyday Japanese slang for a bratty kid. Used on playgrounds, in variety shows, in manga. Casual register, usually affectionate.

The kanji 餓鬼 also names a Buddhist spirit (the hungry ghost), but that reading is rare in contemporary speech. For etymology and usage, see gaki.sh/meaning.

Series

Nara Brats: Painterly single-subject portraits in the Yoshitomo Nara register: round heads, narrow eyes, tight mouths, pastel grounds.
Streetwear: Editorial photo-illustration. Oversized streetwear, Tokyo alleys, golden hour, shallow focus.
Mischief: Candid scenes. Two or three kids caught mid-prank, mid-tag, mid-laugh.
Manga Ink: Single-panel ink drawings with one spot color.

About

All work is generated with modern image models, then curated, cropped, and captioned. AI-assisted work is labeled honestly. See about for details.

Commissions are closed. Press enquiries via gaki.sh.