Artist Acky Bright Previews 1st NYC Exhibition, "Studio Infinity"

The kawakakkoii (cute and cool) art of manga illustrator Acky Bright has become a recognizable presence in anime convention halls and advertising (his most famous work is probably this year's viral "WcDonalds" promotion). As Acky Bright returned to Anime NYC for his third year this past weekend, the Japan Society offered a preview of his new art exhibit, Studio Infinity, which opens officially on October 4.

Studio Infinity is spread out over two rooms. In one room, guests can flip through Acky Bright's art books and pose with standees of the WcDonalds characters; the other room showcases Acky Bright's fine art prints, music videos, and a glass screen, which Acky Bright will add to over the exhibit's 3.5-month run in his signature live drawing events. Visitors might want to return to the exhibit multiple times to see how this work in progress continues to evolve.

Before the exhibit's preview weekend, Acky Bright answered questions from Anime News Network over email, discussing his live-drawing process, collaborations with musical artists, and his love of kabuki and superheroes.

ANIME NEWS NETWORK: You are known for your live-drawing events. How do you feel drawing in front of an audience versus working in private?

Acky Bright: When drawing live, I'm thinking about entertaining the audience. I don't make any drafts, and I don't draw any sketches. That keeps me tense and focused, and I try to have the experience of discovery together with the audience. Drawing on a large canvas in front of an audience brings out different ideas than I would imagine drawing alone in my studio, so it's truly a live performance.

How does the participatory/interactive element of the Studio Infinity exhibit work? How do you see it evolving?

Acky Bright: This exhibition displays my art creation process. First of all, you can get some insight into my way of thinking by looking at many of my sketches, things that are not normally shown. The main highlight is the live drawing stage with large murals painted on clear glass. My art will progress steadily throughout the exhibition period, and through this new attempt to use walls of glass, my live drawing will be visible from the front and not just from behind, which is usually the case. With every visit, something has changed. This is the concept for this exhibition.

This exhibit features your music video for YOASOBI. What was it like working with them?

Acky Bright: This is a very popular project from McDonald's Japan, and I'm in charge of the character design for this project every year. In 2024, they did a special mash-up of hits by artists YOASOBI and VAUNDY. It's exciting to collaborate with music artists I often listen to. On top of that, the production side is a dream team of the best-of-the-best creators in Japan. I thoroughly enjoy participating as a member of this collective group. This music video, which was only distributed in Japan, can now be shown in this exhibition. It's the only place in North America where this is possible, thanks to the generosity of McDonald's Japan, YOASOBI, and VAUNDY.

For PLANET OF METAL [a concept album Bright made an accompanying book of illustrations for], you were making the art at the same time ASTERISM was writing the music. What was it like bouncing ideas off one another for this collaboration? What parts of their music most inspired you, and what parts of your art most inspired them?

Acky Bright: The collaboration with ASTERISM was a fun and interactive process, almost as if we were jamming together. I feel like I received more from them than I gave. Their sound is very powerful yet complex, which has a lot in common with my art style. That's why I think we were able to come up with something so great.

What are the differences between designing characters for your projects vs. designing them for corporate clients?

Acky Bright: When it comes to designing characters, there is not much difference between working on a client's project and working on a personal project. But when working as a team to create something, I'm at the beginning of a process that affects many people, and I'm very conscious of how to strike a balance between the designs I want to do and the designs the client wants, and how to communicate clearly with everyone on the team.

Your new painting series "KBK18" combines classic kabuki stories with cyberpunk. It's clear from your other work that cyberpunk is your major interest; why is kabuki also something you're passionate about?

Acky Bright: The first project I worked on as an illustrator was creating kabuki illustrations for merchandise sold at a kabuki theater. That led me to fall in love with kabuki and I watched it many times. This is my first solo exhibition in the U.S., and I was curious to see what would happen if I were to draw these early works as the artist I am now, so I created something new called "KBK18". During the exhibition, one trading card will be handed out to each visitor, so I hope you will enjoy finding out which of the 20 types you will receive.

You're also known for your superhero comic book covers. Who is your favorite superhero to draw and why?

Acky Bright: My first cover work in the U.S. was drawing Punchline (from The Joker #8), so I like her as well as Harley Quinn, the next character I drew. Both artworks are on display in the exhibition. Villains have expressive faces and cool designs, so they're fun to draw. I also drew a sequel to the Black Lightning short story I created for DC Vs. Vampires, although it has not been announced yet, so please look forward to it.

Acky Bright Official Website: https://www.acky-bright.com
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/aki001208
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acky_bright