Born in Hokkaido in 1939, the Japanese Maeda Juan (is pronounced “Joo-ahn) is the prototypical magazine illustrator as fine artist. After dropping out of high school in 1957, Maeda started his art career as a novice to the renowned Gekiga (a style of Japanese comics
Again, a great tip from Jeff Faerber who drew my attention to the well-drawn erotic comic strip I Roved Out in Search of Truth and Love (2018) by Alexis Flower, who is responsible for both text and artwork…
aimed at adult audiences and marked by a more cinematic art style) artist Oka Tomohiko in 1957. With the explosive output of SM
Helpless men chained to various instruments of torture humiliated by bossy mistresses wearing leather boots and intι̇ɱidating outfits. In Bernard Montorgueil’s world it is clear who is calling the shots. But,..
magazines in the early 1970s, Maeda began regularly contributing to ɱany of them and soon became much sought after.
Fig.1.
Most Sadistic
His style can be best described as “passionate” but also disquieting as his wonderfully rendered (in a soft pencil and ink wash similar to the watercolor medium) female figures are frequently portrayed in the most arduous of kinbaku
In this day and age, there are quite a few artists who sometι̇ɱes turn to kinbaku for subject matter and inspiration. One of the most famous of the modern generation is the phenomenal Japanese illustrator Sorayama..
(bondage
The prints below embody a limited, but favorite subgroup of Japanese erotica that portrayed defenseless, enslaved, or captive women. They are coveted and sought by specific collectors because for this specific area of..
hardships. Maeda alternates charming scenes with violent
To name shunga a violent art is exaggerated but violence and death were subjects that were not avoided. Indeed the success of shunga in the 19th Century was certainly also determined by these exploitative..
ones including agitated spiders (Fig.12 and 15), bottles (Fig.11 and 13) and giant dildos (Fig.16). The most sadistic
In an interview the provocative film director Bruno Dumont once explained about his work that “ The landscape is a reflection of the inner life. Since I can’t shoot the inner life, all I can shoot is the..
tableau is probably the one in which the tormentor uses his spectacles to converge sun rays in order to burn the tied female’s private parts (Fig.6).
Fig.2.
Hidden in a Corner
Another quality that distinguishes him from all other bondage illustrators is his propensity for doing magnificent and detailed landscapes in each of the four seasons where the viewer has to search for the kinbaku scene somewhere hidden in a corner of the frame (Fig.3). In this he follows in the footsteps of the classical ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was the last major master of the ukiyo-e school. He was not the prodigious eccentric that Hokusai was, but nevertheless made a groundbreaking contribution to the development of the..
(1797-1858), where the Japanese landscape and the beauty of the four seasons is celebrated.
Fig.3. ‘Flower Bonfire’, SM Select (Apr 1976) (Source: Nawapedia.com)
Fig.4. ‘Flames of Lust‘, SM King (Nov 1974) (Source: Nawapedia.com)
Downfall
With the downfall of the majority of SM magazines, Juan Maeda was more fortunate than ɱany of his colleagues in that he’s been able to earn a living and exercise his great talents by producing illustrations for mainstream magazines and even sport periodicals.
Fig.5.
Juan Maeda Art Works
He has also had his SM art included in two nicely done SM art compilation books released by MYWAY MOOK in 2008 and 2011 subsequently and in 2000 a wonderful volume of only his art entitled ‘Juan Maeda Art Works‘.
Fig.6.
Fig.7.
Fig.8.
Fig.9.
Fig.10.
Fig.11.
Fig.12.
Fig.13.
Fig.14.
Fig.15.
Fig.16.
Fig.17. ‘Alluring Woɱan‘
Fig.18. ‘Charming Rope Scenes ‘