Art attack: APAK, Aya Kakeda, Betsy Walton at Junc

Ava Kakeda - Untitled, 8.5" x 11" pen, ink, graphite and watercolor on wood

By Alie Ward, Metromix

If envy is a sin, consider us guilty. Not only do we covet the whimsical, fantastical artwork of Portland-based husband-and-wife duo APAK (Aaron Piland and Ayumi Kajikawa), but we also covet, well, their life. The couple lives in a cottage in the leafy Northwest, making paintings of happy creatures while tending to their blooming individual illustration careers. Their adorable, enviable collaboration as APAK results in sweet and fluffy works featuring critters and rainbows rendered in a style merging animation with Superflat, and using a palette rich enough to brighten any rainy day. Further fueling our frothing-mouthed jealousy is their way-too-cute website, which matter-of-factly states that the two make art “as a way exploring the beauty, mystery and magic of life as well as expressing their love for life and each other.” Jerks.

They’ll be showing new work at Silverlake's Junc Gallery alongside Japanese-born artist Aya Kakeda, who makes intricate and bizzaro ink drawings of seals and nature, as well as Betsy Walton, who uses angular lines to construct lighthearted scenes. Forget being a tortured artist—we want to live in a cottage and be in love and draw happy animals.