A third-year junior high school student with autism draws an incredibly detailed world with a ruler [Unique Communication #9]
"Isai Tsuushin" is a column introducing artists brought to you by Marie ( @Marie_heralbony ), the Isai Evangelist. In addition to the appeal of the works produced by Isai artists, we will deliver it in a chatty style, including wonderful experiences born from the interaction between Heralbony and Isai artists. For all of you who love the "unusual". We will support your tomorrow with content that will help you relax and give you energy.
Hello, I'm Marie.
Suddenly, take a good look at this piece. 
Do you see an animal in the picture?
The title of this work is "Where is the Chameleon?"
The artist who drew this chameleon, hiding in the vivid colors reminiscent of a jungle and intricately drawn shapes, is Chihiro Yagyu, a young and unique artist currently in his third year of junior high school who will be entering high school in April this year. 3 He is a gifted artist with autism type 2E (ASD) , and he uses 58 color markers to create works that feature unique characters, letters, and colorful designs . At just nine years old, he has already won an international contest, so how does he usually create his works? Let's take a closer look at his creative process.
What is "ruler art" that makes full use of rulers?
The secret to Yagyu's unique style of painting lies in the creative process. 
Alongside rows of art supplies and markers, there are circles and strangely curved boards. In fact, these are all types of rulers. The orange ruler with a row of large and small circles is a "template ruler," while the green and light blue rulers with curved lines are called "cloud rulers." Yagyu is particularly fond of smooth, round shapes without corners.
"Ruler Art," which skillfully combines and utilizes rulers, is the result of the techniques that Yagyu has honed himself. Combining ruler lines with vivid colors creates a unique rhythmic presence.
Yagyu, who works alone and silently with incredible concentration, is not good at doing many things at the same time. However, once he becomes passionate about something, he is good at continuing to work hard at it, and he started making art in the fourth grade of elementary school and continued doing it almost every day until he was in the first year of junior high school.
The ability to continue performing detailed and tedious work is truly "exceptional."
The World Heritage Site "Shuri Castle" drawn with a ruler is a masterpiece!
Although Yagyu's ruler art is quite impressive, he says that as a child he liked to draw stick figures in black and white. His current colorful style began when he encountered Copic markers at the age of 9. 
The Ruler Art that has become synonymous with him was born from a certain piece of work.
Mr. Yagyu was asked by a person in Okinawa to draw Shuri Castle, a World Heritage Site that was destroyed by fire, but he found it difficult to draw it freehand as he wanted. His father then advised him to try drawing it using a ruler, and he succeeded in drawing Shuri Castle exactly as he wanted. 
This piece has received a great response on social media and is also on display inside the ticket gates of Shuri Station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail.
The experience of drawing with a ruler was so enjoyable that in his subsequent works he gradually began to use a ruler to draw not only straight lines, but also curves. "Peace in the Sea," drawn entirely with a ruler, is his first memorable work, born out of repeated trial and error in order to successfully shape his image.
The dynamic movement of fish and sea turtles in the ocean, visible in the powerful colors and lines, is depicted in every corner of the picture. Whether viewed up close or from afar, the world of Yagyu, where shapes and colors blend together, is captivating from any angle.
Drawing with a ruler is like solving a math problem
It's also interesting to carefully compare works made before the artist started using rulers with works made after the artist started using rulers. 
"Microbial Paradise," painted before he learned to use rulers, depicts living organisms formed by a dense web of organic curves.
Then, when you start using rulers... 
The result is a well-balanced piece with curves and straight lines, and shapes of different sizes. It's also interesting to see how the colors change along with the changes in the lines.
Yagyu, who was a junior high school student until March, is good at math. For Yagyu, using a ruler feels more like solving a math problem by combining shapes than drawing a picture. He says that the joy he feels when he neatly fits a circle or draws a line just as he intended is similar to the joy he feels when he gets the answer he needs in math.
A commitment to the "eyes" that stand out just as much as the colors
It seems that Yagyu-san is also particular about the order in which he starts drawing a piece. 
According to his father, when drawing an animal, he first draws the outline of the face, then draws the eyes. Yagyu-san in particular spends a lot of time drawing the eyes. 
Certainly, the eyes of the animals that Yagyu draws are very striking. Even in the rough sketch stage, the gaze of this "Gazing Elephant" is already powerful. 
When you look at the finished piece, the elephant's eyes stand out just as much as the vivid colors.
Animal art drawn by Yagyu.
Yagyu, who loves living things, has been visiting Kobe Animal Kingdom and Oji Zoo since he was a child, and he apparently took better care of his pet hamster than anyone else.
Among his many works, which show his love for animals, there are some slightly unusual animals that appear in addition to chameleons and elephants. We will introduce some of these along with comments from Yagyu and his family.
"Rhinoceroses are characterised by their large horns. I created a special look with the pattern on the horns. The round eyes make this a strong yet cute piece."
"I have expressed rare creatures, such as the shoebill, platypus, aardvark and bongo, in my own way. I hope you will use your imagination to find out where each of them is hiding." 
"Real bell horned frogs are very colorful and humorous creatures. I aimed to create a bell horned frog that was just as colorful and unique as the real thing."
By the way, the work "Where's the Chameleon?" introduced at the beginning is a work depicting a camouflaged chameleon. The chameleon's face is actually hiding here. 
Did you know where the shoebill, platypus, aardvark, and bongo are in the other film, "Gathering of Rare Animals"? Here's the answer!
Recently, he has been actively experimenting with motifs other than animals, and pieces such as "Memories of the Summer Festival," which are on sale in the online store , have a new and different appeal.
Yagyu-san will be a high school student starting this spring. "When I become a high school student, I want to work hard at art, my studies, and my relationships with other people," he said, expressing his enthusiasm for student life.
Yagyu's unique style continues to evolve through his encounters with Copic and ruler art, and he is sure to continue to shine even brighter as he encounters various new things in the future.
Why not take your time to enjoy the world of this 15-year-old Yagyu, who is sure to be a sight to behold?
>> See all Chihiro Yagyu's original artworks
Chihiro Yagyu's "One of a kind tote bag" is now on sale again
The Yagyu-san art version of the extremely popular "One of a kind reborn tote bag," which sold out in three days after it went on sale last time, is now on sale again. (Currently sold out) 
The "One of a Kind Reborn Tote Bag" is an upcycled tote bag made from a large artwork used in the "WALL ART MUSEUM" project, which decorated the temporary fencing around construction sites with art and turned the city into an art museum.
It is made of tarpaulin, a material that is highly durable and stain-resistant, making it a strong product that you can use for a lifetime.
Why not take this opportunity to try out the special experience of "wearing your favorite art"?
Chihiro Yagyu
Born in 2008, he was diagnosed with ASD at a young age. When he was 9 years old, a piece he painted won an international contest, and he began to paint seriously after that. His aim is to create artwork that is enjoyable for those who see it, and he expresses it in a unique way using colorful colors and geometric patterns.
