Hideyuki Sobue's
Print Room
In Japan, Beatrix Potter is best known for her 'Little Books'. Peter Rabbit and the other characters she created are still hugely popular today. What is the secret to this enduring popularity? I believe it is the vitality with which Beatrix imbued each character, allowing the reader to feel that they are about to leap from the page at any moment. Take, for example, Jeremy Fisher. Although frogs and toads in real life are slimy and squat, in Beatrix’s hands he becomes magically endearing.
The original works of this series of prints were produced as part of my art project "A Letter to the Earth from Beatrix", held at Allan Bank, Grasmere, UK, commissioned by the National Trust. I've created these works to spotlight Beatrix Potter's creativity as a homage to her enduring legacy. As a Japanese artist living and working in the Lake District today, I have tried to reinterpret the stories and characters to which she gave birth as a result of her day-to-day observations. The result is a series of portraits of small animals (including my pets) that I meet in my own day-to-day life. A contemporary twist with Victorian satiric humour shines through; this collection brings creative inspiration and fun to your day-to-day life.
Here, I'm presenting you the Animal Collection Vol.1! Discover a stunning array of high-quality prints, each carefully redesigned from my original works using my signature line hatching method. These items are beyond replication by digital illustrations, making every piece a rare and valuable collectable. All items are produced in collaboration with Zazzle. More items will be added soon, so stay tuned and happy shopping!
This collection highlights the plight of the native red squirrel, now semi-endangered due to the invasive grey squirrel. With this environmental issue in mind, the series offers a variety of goods featuring humorous depictions of the complex relationship between red and grey squirrels. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
The collection originated from my encounter with a toad in our backyard. Inspired by Mr Jeremy Fisher, one of the most popular characters created by Beatrix Potter, these slimies reflect contemporary comic culture in a comical and satirical way. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
From the pheasants I encountered during my walks to the small bird remains I found in our garden, wild birds enrich my rural life with their presence. Beatrix Potter, renowned for her intricate watercolour paintings of birds and various subjects, has, of course, inspired this series. However, it has a contemporary twist, blending comic culture with a humorous and satirical edge. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
As said, Beatrix Potter could have helped save Herdwick sheep, the native breed in the English Lake District, from extinction as part of her wider vision to preserve the natural environment of the whole region, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. Again, I produced these series comically and satirically, combining it with our contemporary comic culture. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
Our beloved house cats, neighbourhood cats, stray cats, and wild cats are indispensable in our daily lives, living freely and independently. In this series, I have depicted them particularly as women to satirically and comically address gender issues in modern society. Beatrix Potter also created delightful stories with cats as the theme, didn’t she? Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
In this series, as you can see, pigs are dressed in leopard-print dresses and coats. By turning the pattern of their natural predators into clothing designs, I depicted them comically. However, these pigs are portrayed as male pigs. The gender definitions that did not exist during Beatrix Potter’s time have now become common, and gender issues are taking on new dimensions. Furthermore, pigs are essential for meat production. However, there are various challenging issues, such as overpopulation, overconsumption, and environmental impact. Thus, the melancholic portrait of the pig was born. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
In this series, Springer Spaniels often appear. The model for these dogs is our beloved pet, Joe, who sadly died from cancer in early 2023. Our Cocker Spaniel, Freddie, was also a cherished family dog who lived a long life. Joe was especially irreplaceable to me, a friend and companion who always made me happy through my challenging years. Joe passed away peacefully in my arms. This series is dedicated to Joe, who left us with many happy memories of country life, and to all dog lovers. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
I portrayed cows and calves in various roles in this series, such as a mischievous kid and a female butcher. For instance, a red cow is depicted as a melancholic butcher. In light of the impending ecological crisis, the issue of global overconsumption of meat is a major concern. The cow contemplates whether it is possible to meet humanity’s demands by slaughtering her fellow cattle while minimizing the consumption of grasslands and the destruction of forests... Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
This collection highlights the dualities in social media, where glamorous lifestyles are often celebrated. By juxtaposing vanity with dignity and falsehood with truth, this specially curated collection offers a variety of items featuring satirical and humorous depictions of glamorous animals. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.
Explore our unique collection vol.1: the omnibus animal-character items, all produced as part of the National Trust-commissioned project, ‘A Letter to the Earth from Beatrix’. These animal characters are my heartfelt tribute to Beatrix Potter, reflecting contemporary society through the Victorian-era tradition of anthropomorphising animals. Each item of this collection celebrates the legacy of Beatrix Potter, capturing her timeless charm while delving into themes of culture, politics, ecology, gender, and art history. Celebrate British wildlife and support environmental awareness with our exclusive collection, perfect for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and fans of Beatrix Potter. Discover the collection today and bring a piece of this enchanting series into your home.