Toward a New Market (Europe): Aiming to Be the First Japanese Artist There? [Overseas Side-Job Journal, Vol. 14]

Previous: The Reality of One Month of Overseas Illustration Side Business

① What I Realized After Registering on Overseas Sites

Currently, I’m registering my works mainly on American illustration platforms (INPRNT, Redbubble, FAA).

As I continued the registration work, a thought suddenly came to me.

Art is an expression conveyed not by words but by vision.

If art can truly cross the language barrier, why not have people all over the world — not just America — see it?

…I thought.

Even though not a single piece has sold (laughs).

But precisely because of that, I may be able to think freely.

If I’m going to challenge anyway, I’d like to dream a slightly bigger dream.

That feeling welled up in me.

② The Current State of the American Market

Naturally, America is one of the world’s largest art markets.

A large population.
High purchasing power.
A rooted culture of buying art and illustrations.

On the other hand, the competition is on a completely different scale.

Because artists from all over the world gather there, it’s a very attractive market — and at the same time, a fierce battleground.

This is something I knew from the start.

Or rather, it might be more accurate to say I truly felt it after registering.

③ The Surprising Depth Between Europe and Japanese Culture

So what caught my attention was the European market.

As many of you may know, Van Gogh and Monet are known to have been greatly influenced by ukiyo-e.

Monet painted his wife in a kimono in “La Japonaise,” and Van Gogh not only collected hundreds of ukiyo-e prints but is also famous for copying works by Hiroshige. This phenomenon is called “Japonisme.”

In late-19th-century Europe, Japanese culture — ukiyo-e, kimono, crafts — became an explosive boom. The Impressionist painters all eagerly studied Japanese art and incorporated it into their works.

Learning episodes like these conveys the depth of Europe’s interest in Japanese art.

While America tends to receive Japanese culture as “Cool!”,
Europe has a soil for appreciating Japanese culture in the context of art and history.

Of course, simple comparisons can’t be made, but…

My world of works — Taisho Roman and Showa retro — might be a good match for European sensibilities.

I came to hold that hypothesis.

Even though not a single piece has sold (laughs).

④ I Researched Platforms for Europe

When I got curious and started researching, various platforms existed in Europe too.

The first that caught my eye was Displate, from Poland.

It’s an unusual service specializing in metal prints, but the registration hurdle is low, so it seems good for a first try.

Next, what caught my attention was Germany’s Posterlounge.

It’s one of Europe’s largest art print companies and uses a review system.

It’s a system where you submit a portfolio, and only approved artists can register.

As far as I could research, I could hardly find any Japanese artists there.

That’s exactly what makes me want to try.

I also researched France’s Carré d’Artistes, Denmark’s Artland, and the UK’s Artfinder.

None of them are easy — there are reviews, or relationships with galleries are needed.

But conversely, they are also places where artists from around the world are seriously challenging themselves.

The more I researched, the more interesting it became.

The platform comparison summary is here

⑤ The Next Move and the Honest Challenge

As I researched, what came into view was the existence of “Etsy.”

Many European services, such as Gelato (Norway) and Papello (UK), presuppose integration with Etsy.

The more I researched, the more I saw the structure:

“Without Etsy, nothing starts.”

So my current plan is this.

• First, register works on Displate
• Try applying to Posterlounge
• Beyond that, open an Etsy shop

Of course, there’s no guarantee anywhere that it will go well.

But here’s one interesting thing.

Without AI, English would have been impossible.

Without the internet, I never would have even thought of selling overseas.

A few years ago, I wouldn’t even have researched overseas art markets.

Now that I’m in my 50s, it may be an age when people normally go on the defensive.

But reality was the opposite.

Thanks to AI, the world became closer.

I can translate.
I can research.
I can apply.
I can challenge.

With such an environment right in front of me, I can find no reason not to use it.

Conclusion: The Map for Conquering Europe Came into View

Honestly, not a single work has sold yet.

Even so, just researching is fun.

Registering on American sites, researching European platforms, creating English application texts together with AI.

It’s a world I never would have imagined a few years ago.

From a corner of Ehime, sending my works out to the world.

I don’t know if it will succeed.

But one thing is certain.

Knowing and acting, versus not knowing and not acting, are completely different.

So, for now, I’ll just apply.

Even though not a single piece has sold (laughs).

The summary and entry point of my story of starting an illustration side business in my 50s is here

Next Time

Next time, in Vol. 15 of the Overseas Side-Job Journal, I’ll deliver “I Tried Registering My Works on Displate.” A real report of the actual registration work on the metal-print specialty site, and the battle with high-resolution data.

Next: Month Two on Overseas Platforms: FAA Visitors Pass 1,000 — and Sales Are Still ¥0