Kanae Sato

Kanae Sato was born in 1974 in Aichi, Japan. She currently lives in Tokyo. After having worked for a planning and production department of a printing company, Kanae began working as a web designer. She then learned illustration at Aoyama Juku and became a freelance illustrator in 2010.
With her simple, cute and impactful touch, Kanae expresses subtle interactions among people and animals in brilliant colors.
While she focuses on drawing illustrations for ads, publications, picture books and goods, she also puts effort into her original artworks and gives solo exhibitions at times. She takes part in a variety of activities including gallery exhibitions, events, and collaborative projects both at home and abroad.

Footprints

• 2014 | Kanae held her first exhibition at HB Gallery in Omotesando, Tokyo.
• 2015 | She won the 2015 Creativ Club Austria Silver Venus Award in the illustration category for creative advertisement.
• 2018 | Three picture books illustrated by Kanae, Happy Grumpy Loved, Hide Seek Stinky Sweet, and Wiggle Jump Tickle, were published by Compendium, USA.
• 2019 | A picture book illustrated by Kanae,     Tomi et ses amis poilus, was published by Comme des géants, Canada.
• 2020 | A picture book illustrated by Kanae, Taberu Kotoba (Tasteful Words), published by Froebel-Kan, won the 2019 Spikes Asia Singapore Bronze Award in the Brand Experience & Activation category.
• Two picture puzzle books illustrated by Kanae, My First Story Puzzle: Animals and Nature, were published by Laurence King Publishing, UK.
• 2021 | A picture puzzle book illustrated by Kanae, My First Story Puzzle: Home, was published by Laurence King Publishing, UK.