Niky Roehreke: the hands of an illustrator

Niky Roehreke is a German/Japanese illustrator born to a German father and a Japanese mother: she has quite a rich heritage from these two dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Born and having lived her whole life in a small German community in Tokyo, she decided to break a way and travel abroad after her graduation. Niky moved to London in 2005 to study graphic design at Central Saint Martins, after which she went to do an internship in New York, where she is now based.

image: trendland.com

Travelling between Tokyo and New York, Niky draws, doodles, paints and makes collages. Her illustrations are colourful and unique as she uses a variety of mixed media including print, illustration and photography. In an interview with Dazed Digital she comments:

I was never really good at expressing myself through words and always looked for other ways. When I was younger I used to dance ballet, I was so fascinated by the fact that a dancer can say so much solely through body movement. But I had to quit ballet at the age of 17 and started to dream about becoming a costume and fashion designer. Then during college I thought I’ll be a graphic designer or a filmmaker but after graduation I finally I realised that there are too many rules and regulations for me in fashion, graphic design or film that, at the end of the day just a piece of paper and pen gave me the feeling of freedom and most excitement due to infinite possibilities.

image: trendland.com

Niky has a special affinity to hands as she believes that they are still one of the most honest ways in which people can communicate and express themselves in this technology-based society. Through using your hands to create something you are partaking in something special, enjoyable and timeless. Go have a look at her work and the video below – perhaps it might inspire you to go use your hands and create something.