By Grace Furey Peters
Kinuko Y. Craft was born in Kanazawa, Japan in 1940. She graduated from the Kanazawa College of Art with a BFA in illustration in 1964. Shortly after, she moved to the United States and continued her education at the Art Institute of Chicago’s School of Art, focusing on design and illustration. Although most of her early work was in commercial advertising, she soon transitioned to illustrating fiction books.
She had always been captivated by European fine art and drew inspiration from the works of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, symbolists, and specifically the art of Leonardo da Vinci. Her art is renowned worldwide for its unique blend of fantasy and reality and for its ornate details. She enjoys working with soft, light colors that make the illustrations seem to glow and evoke the simple elegance of Art Nouveau.
Marianna Mayer, The 12 Dancing Princesses (New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1989) Tulane University Libraries