Aaron Piland and Ayumi Kajikawa are the creators of Apak Studio. The former spouses met in 1997 while attending art school in Michigan, and although, they are now separated, the couple still creates colorful art together.
“Aaron starts the pieces by painting the environments and passes the art over to Ayumi to explore with her characters,” they said in an interview with Ballpit. “Ayumi passes it back to Aaron to add the finishing touches. Sometimes it goes back and forth 2-3 times until it’s done. It’s a good formula that works for us because we each get to do what we like emphasizing our strengths and making up for our weaknesses.”
Using acrylic gouache as their main medium, they depict “utopian lives and adventures of curious little beings living harmoniously in a lush fantastic parallel world surrounded by friendly little animals” on wood. They add that Kajikawa has always loved characters, while Piland has been interested in plants in nature.
You can follow their creations on Instagram or have a look at their Etsy store where you can purchase some of their art pieces.
