Miki Lowe, from the everyday to the transcendental

Today we talk to Miki Lowe, a multidisciplinary Anglo-Japanese artist currently based in London. With a nomadic spirit, she uses new places and experiences as sources of inspiration to transform everyday aspects of life into something truly transcendent.

Hi Miki, who are you? How would you define yourself?

I'm Miki, an Anglo-Japanese and French visual artist. My work is somewhere between illustration, fine art and design. It's a kind of hybrid.

Where were you born? Do you still live there?

I was born in Kyoto (Japan) although I was raised in the south of France and now I live in London.

When did you decide to become an artist?

Early on. As a child I wanted to be an artist. And then, at the age of 16, I chose the applied arts branch for my baccalaureate. This means that from a very early age my studies have been focused on the fields of arts and design.

How would you define your style in one sentence?

Eclectic but personal, sometimes surreal, sometimes figurative, everyday but transcendent.

Your weaknesses? Your strengths?

I am very impatient, even restless by nature. On the other hand, I am also very curious and I think that is a positive thing.

What would you say makes you different?

My multidisciplinary approach to graphic arts.

What do you find most fascinating about creativity?

It seems to have a life of its own. It can sometimes jump out of nowhere and blossom when it is totally unexpected, and yet it is incredibly connected to our underlying feeling, our moods and what is going on in our lives.

Which of your works are you particularly fond of?

I like my engravings and etchings. There is a lot of work in the process, which in itself has many steps, and that type of printmaking requires a certain thoroughness and care – you have to accept that it is a slow process. It is very different to painting and direct drawing. I suppose it makes me challenge my own impatience, and I find the final pieces very rewarding when they are done successfully.

Who inspires or influences you when creating?

Rather than who, I prefer to say where, what and how. Rather than a particular individual, my inspiration comes from experiences (a lot of it from my travels) the things I see, the ideas I get from people and the way they live. I also get creative inspiration from reading – it doesn’t have to be fiction, it can also be essays, biographies, poetry, theory… Sometimes a single sentence or paragraph comes up with a visual idea or a story to develop from.

Do you have any new projects or ideas in the works?

I will continue to work on commissioned illustration work, but I would like to do some self-directed projects. I would also like to spend some time in a foreign country.

2025 Where do you see yourself?

I have a very changeable mind, so it's very difficult to say. I like to think that life happens within oneself, so I would like to be doing and learning something new, learning to live and adapting to a very different place.

Finish the sentence: When things get tough…

Take a step back or seek support from someone you love and trust.

A favorite place .

One of the places that impressed me was the northern coast of Croatia, around the areas of Pula and Cape Kamenjak up to Zadar. I think when I went tourism hadn't really exploded in that part of the country and it felt very undiscovered.

What would you do if you could change the world?

At the risk of sounding like a "Miss America," I would redistribute wealth and resources more equitably. It is deeply absurd to me that a very small portion of the world's population has more money than they can spend in a lifetime just because they were lucky enough to be born in a certain place, time, and family, while countless others, for those same reasons, do not have access to the most basic things like clean water, food, freedom, healthcare, and education.

Second to last question… Favorite song?

That's very difficult. "In the death car" by Iggy Pop and Goran Bregovic.
The lyrics are twisted, but it's a beautiful song.

Movie?

My favorite since childhood is Princess Mononoke by Hayao Mikazaki.
Besides being an artist, my dream was to wear war paint and ride wolves in wild forests. (I still want to be honest)