Mateusz Urbanowicz, 38, is an artist and animator from Bytom, Poland, who now lives in Chiba Prefecture. He worked on background art for anime such as “Space Dandy” and “Your Name.” Since leaving a full-time career in animation, Urbanowicz has released several art books including “Imaginary Storefronts,” his latest publication that explores the beauty of mundane storefronts in Japanese neighborhoods.
1. What sparked your career shift from electrical engineering to animation? I always drew, painted and was into computers. I worked at a company in Poland selling drawing tablets and making illustrated demos. Working on digital art brought me to Japan and got me my first job in animation.
2. Who is your biggest artistic influence? Hayao Miyazaki. I watched his documentaries often while working in animation. He influenced me to put the audience first, rather than choose what would be easy to make or sell.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.