Written by Patrick Balfe
Meeting Luis Mendo in his new town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, it would be easy to mistake him for a long-term local. As he effortlessly pulled people in for a chat, a photo, or an impromptu Spanish lesson, it was hard to believe the extroverted artist and former Tokyoite had only moved there one week earlier.
In his career as an illustrator and creative director of the Tokyo-based artist residence, Almost Perfect, his community-centric nature has played a big role in his success. But, despite two new independent projects, Mendo was planning his new chapter as one of relative quietude.
Moving to Japan
Experiencing burnout as an editorial designer and creative director in Amsterdam, Mendo initially came to Japan to escape the rat race. “I was not in a hurry to work or anything,” he tells us about his move in 2013. “First, I came on a sabbatical for three months, and I didn’t do anything but drawing. A lot of drawing.”
Spending his time sketching in cafés and immersing himself in the local artistic community, Mendo says he didn’t consider becoming an illustrator until a friend suggested he try it full time. After an introduction to a Japanese illustration agency, what started as a casual hobby began to appear more as a legitimate profession. “I was working on my future career without knowing it,” he explains.
Finding success
By 2020, with one agent backing him in Tokyo and another in New York, plus a handful of domestic and international clients, his illustration career had become a reality, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that things really took off. “The pandemic came, and I did a personal project called The Home Stayer, which got a lot of coverage,” he says. “Handsome Frank found me through it, and they were like, ‘Oh, this is interesting, can we talk?’ That’s when they signed me up, and from there, it was much easier.”
The Home Stayer was a series of faux magazine covers that depicted tranquil scenes of home life during lockdown, aiming to alleviate the negativity people were experiencing by being forced to stay indoors. The images caught the attention of UK-based illustration agency Handsome Frank, with whom he signed in 2021. Since then, Mendo has worked with clients such as The New York Times, Spotify, Sony, Uniqlo, The Wall Street Journal, and Apple.
According to Mendo, in addition to a broader variety of work, international representation has brought higher budgets than those offered locally. “In Japan, there are so many wonderful illustrators and illustration is used widely, so of course, clients tend to pay less,” he explains.
Almost Perfect
At the same time, Mendo and his wife, Yuka, were managing the Taito-Ward-based artist residence, Almost Perfect. More than a business pursuit, Mendo says, the intention of the residence was to create connections between foreign and local creatives.
“The creator community in Japan has proven to always be a very nice bunch of people,” Mendo says. “Almost Perfect wouldn’t make a lot of money, but it was amazing to see foreigners enjoying Japan and meeting Japanese artists and creatives. For us, that was the real payment.”
However, the demands of running the project grew with its popularity, and when the need for expensive renovations forced the couple to close its doors in late 2024, Mendo saw an opportunity to regain some work-life balance in Karuizawa.
Settling down
Now, an average day for Mendo sees him dropping his daughter off at kindergarten before settling into his home office. On any given day, he could be working on as many as five different projects, a recent one of which is Mundo Mendo, a members-only platform where he shares art, comics, and stories directly with his fans. Another recent addition is The Illustrated, a free mailing list through which he handpicks artists he likes and shares them, along with details on how to contact and commission them.
Constant change
Both new projects, he says, act as a culmination of the skills he developed in past chapters of his career, as well as an addition of new skills to his arsenal. “It’s definitely a new chapter,” he tells us. “With The Illustrated, I utilize my art director knowledge to select talent. With Mundo Mendo, I’m teaching myself to write. It’s all an evolution.”
Change, it seems, has been a driving force in Mendo’s career, and the range of skills he’s accumulated offers him more creative freedom and his clients a unique creative perspective. Drawing from your personal skills and life experience, he says, is the most valuable piece of advice he can offer to those seeking a job in the creative industries, particularly in Japan. “If you come from abroad, don’t offer to draw manga, for instance. They have enough manga artists here,” he shares. “It’s better to offer something from where you’re from, something that they don’t have. You can sell your foreign perspective.”
Chatting with Mendo outdoors in Karuizawa, it was clear that he was at the start of a new chapter in his creative life in Japan, but it was hard to say how long the slower pace would last. With two new projects under his belt, he already has plans for more. “I have ideas,” he admits. “I can’t help it, I am addicted to change, I adore change. Now it’s this, but tomorrow, who knows?”
Some quotes have been edited down for clarity and brevity.
