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Joel Nakamura is the award-winning artist and author of two bestselling picture books: Go West! (Leaf Storm, 2015) and I Dreamed I Was a Dog (Leaf Storm, 2017). He is known for his unique style: a blend of folk art and sophisticated iconography rendered in a neo-primitive technique. Nakamura's knowledge of tribal art, mythology, and his ability to convey stories and information in an intricate and engaging manner has attracted major art collectors and earned him a loyal following.
His first children's book, Go West!, was the Library of Congress National Book Festival's selection from New Mexico, the 2015 Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award Winner: Best Writer/Illustrator, Gold Medal, the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner: Best Illustrator, Silver Medal, and the 2015 USA Best Books Award Winner: Best Hardcover Nonfiction Children's Picture Book. In 2016, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg read aloud to a group of young children during a visit to New Mexico. The event was covered extensively by the local and regional media.
Nakamura's ability to render humanity in such primal, edgy hues has captured the attention of clients like Time magazine, US News & World Report, and the Los Angeles Times. His paintings have enlivened the pages of many other books, publications, and album covers, as well as the 2002 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies programs. Nakamura has been profiled in Communication Arts, Step Inside Design, Confetti and Southwest Art magazines.
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