 | | Michiru - a self portrait |
Michuru Morikawa, from Smethwick has won the (joint) top prize of US$15,000 for best artwork at the IMAF – the International Manga and Anime Festival. "Michiru has a very rare talent" said Jemima Cattel of Hi8us Midlands Ltd "the elegance and maturity of her artwork is stunning, we are thrilled her abilities have been recognised.” Midlands Manga champs
 | | Advent by Michiru Morikawa |
This is the second year running that someone from the Hi8tus Midlands StripSearch scheme in Birmingham has won an award at this prestigious international event, which recognises the best comic illustrators in the world. Asia Alfasi, the first female participant on the StripSearch scheme, last year beat some of the world’s finest illustrators to win US$5000 at the inaugral event.
 | | Before the flight - Michiru Morikawa |
Michiru has gone one step further winning the coveted overall best artist award "When I saw my name on the winners list on the IMAF website, I just thought 'What?? My name is here!' I’ve just started to realise how exciting it is, even now, it is so unreal to me - I won the big great prize! "I really want to say thank you to Asia. She told me about IMAF, and what a great opportunity the competition could be. She strongly recommended I enter it. If I hadn't met her I wouldn't be in this position now." Manga culture
 | | Cake cake cake - Michiru Morikawa |
Born in Japan, Michiri worked as a semi-professional cartoonist and grew up with Japan's Manga culture. Michiru came to Birmingham to study an MA at UCE before gaining a place on the StripSearch scheme, and had expert tuition and guidance from internationally acclaimed illustrators and comic artists in Birmingham. "I learned so many things from Birmingham" says Michiru "I joined a cartoon workshop with hi8us, called StripSearch which enabled me to improve. I'm so grateful for this and in some sense Birmingham changed my life.
 | | Dad's library - Michiru Morikawa |
"I didn’t expect to win because my work is quite abstract. The prize means that there might be a future for European Manga culture." The inner child Michuru also enjoys British children's novels, and the childlike, storybook theme is a feature of her art. "I thought it would be good to tell about childlike existence in my Manga style. My work represents the inner child that is in all of us."
 | | Mum's Kitchen - Michiru Morikawa |
John McCrea, workshop leader and internationally renowned comic artist was amazed by her original application to the scheme, and is certain of her glittering future, "She’s going to be a superstar."
Read about Asia Alfasi - last year's winner
Manga champ > All images are details of originals by Michiru Morikawa and are copyrighted to her. No image may be reproduced without her permission. | 
