New Retro Illustrations: Retro Reimagined by a New Generation

“New retro”, a combination of the word “New” and “Retrospective”, is a newly coined phrase meaning “appreciating and enjoying something old while reimagining it into something modern.” This book introduces 40 up-and-coming illustrators working in this “new retro” style. Through the 300 illustrations showcased in this one book, readers can appreciate and enjoy retro culture, items and motifs reimagined and transformed into something new.

Retro culture, along with items such as 80s/90s fashion, neon lights, old Japanese anime/movies, and retro items like cassette tapes and Polaroid cameras, are now being reappraised by younger generations, who did not experience them in real time. The “New Retro” artistic movement, which began as a new and cool subculture before sparking a trend that took off in Japan in the late 2000s, has now become an established genre among illustrators and continues to influence and attract many creators in the industry with its magical appeal.

This “New Retro” wave in the art, music and fashion industries in Japan brings a somewhat retro but also modern and trendy feel to popular culture. This collection gathers together the most notable New Retro artists and their works to give readers the most up-to-date, cutting-edge collection of this unique style, and will surely be an important reference book for those who want to appreciate and enjoy the essence of these updated and reimagined retro motifs.