Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Tokyo is one of the most vibrant city in the world. A bustling cosmopolitan city with futuristic architecture, high-tech transportation hub and an economic and industrial center.

Greater Tokyo is the world’s most populous metropolis, with 35 million people living in the area. Tokyo Metropolis includes major cities like Yokohama, Kawasaki, Sagamihara, Saitama and Chiba, as well as rural mountain area to the west of the city, the Izu Islands outside Tokyo Bay, and the Bonin Islands to the southeast in the Pacific Ocean.

In this post, I would like you to meet Mateusz Urbanowicz aka. Mattō, an amazing illustrator and digital designer from Silesia, Poland.

Mattō completed his Computer Graphics study at Polish Japanese Institute of Information Technology and won a scholarship from Japanese government to study animation and comics in Japan.

He was graduated with honours from Kobe Design University by creating “Right Places”, a short animated movie.

Video credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – “Right Places” short animation movie

When he first moved to Tokyo, he was surprised by so many old shops and buildings that are still in business. This encounter is so unique in Mattō’s eyes that he eventually took pictures of these shops to make an illustration series out of them.

These illustration is called “Tokyo Storefronts” series.

In these artworks, Mateusz wants to show us the quiet and ordinary old shops, which together with modern buildings, have formed the Tokyo metropolis.

And the results are simply beautiful. Let’s have a look.

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Yamane meat shop from Nippori district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Tsuruya (former) tailors, now retro variety shop from Jinbōchō district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Kobayashi hair salon from Sanbanchyo district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Chinese food restaurant from around the Takadanobaba district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Miyake bicycle shop based on shops from Kagurazaka and Kichijyouji

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Isetatsu traditional color woodblock print store from Yanaka district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Ootoya meat shop from Koujimachi district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Nakashimaya Japanese sake shop from Mejiro district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Kitchen Kuku restaurant from Kichijyouji district

 

Mateusz Urbanowicz Captures Tokyo Storefronts in Watercolor

Image credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Noike sushi restaurant from Yanaka district

Video credit: Mateusz Urbanowicz – Tokyo Storefront #01

Beside Tokyo Storefronts, there are other series of illustrations and animations created by Mateusz Urbanowicz.

If you’d like to view his complete works, you can visit his website at mateuszurbanowicz.com.



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