Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Kenya Shimizu

Kenya Shimizu is a serious artist who works in pen and ink and water colour
producing pictures which are often sexually explicit and feature fetish themes.

Kenya Shimizu - Eye of the Samurai

Like Hasegawa, he references Japanese culture and settings - for example, Samurai warriors and weapons, theatrical masks, tattoos - and of course, bondage.

Kenya Shimizu - Drops of Love

Drops of Love is one of his most memorable images, the treatment is distinctly romantic. 

Compared with Hasegawa, however, the body shown seems to be a vehicle for the art 

rather than an object of desire in it's own right.

Kenya Shimizu - Kiss of Death

The pen and ink works have more edge about them. They are authentically Japanese and highly stylised - sometimes with bold perspectives and slanted sight lines. The crowded, patterned backgrounds are interesting artistically, but compete for attention with the subject matter.

I like Shimizu's work and would happily hang some of the water colours on my wall, but find it hard to get excited about it from a fetish or erotic standpoint. It somehow lacks the darkness and challenge one normally expects from Japanese art.

There's a good selection of his work at Adonis Art of London - Kenya at Adonis Art

Note: I have listed this artist under 'K' simply because that is the first letter of his artistic name (as shown on the paintings). I use this arbitrary method to get round unravelling 'composite' names like MCarcel (Mike Carcel) and initials like 'JAD'. I confess I don't know enough about names in Japan (and Southern Hemisphere cultures generally) to identify forenames and family names either!

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kevin

Kevin is a little known artist who has produced some nice pictures featuring bondage and spanking.
.Kevin - Bound Prisoners

They are precisely drawn with body outlines firmly delineated, but but there is also nice subtlety in, for example the glass window behind the 'stud man' below.

Kevin - Stud Man

The formal poses suggest photographic sources and look a bit 'posed' but the compositions are interesting enough to repay a little study even if they don't quite match the vitality of Kent and Kalabro.

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Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples.
I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Nigel Kent

Nigel Kent represents fetish with a capital 'F'. He is not a story-teller, his pictures are focussed firmly on bondage and leather presented in a very intense form.

Kent - Tattoos and thongs

The image is usually a close up view - often exquisitely detailed and the participants are smothered in ropes or thongs and the whole range of leather fetish wear, accessories and attachments. He delights in the effect of body parts bulging under the constraint of bondage ropes and strapping.

Kent - Master A

The observer is not conscious of the bodies themselves - are they muscular? hairy? - you don't really notice. Likewise the faces are usually obscured by masks or cropped by the edge of the picture so their personalities don't intrude either - it's all about the fetish and the sex. Master A shown above illustrates this in a way, but actually shows far more personality than most of Kent's subjects, both in the face and clothing.

Kent - Bodybag

Kent's technique is highly accomplished, a sort of blurry pointillism which creates marvellous texturing effects in denim and cotton garments. It contributes to the stunningly crisp detail in Master A's belt. When used for leather and skin tones the effect is less effective in representational terms but instead, imparts a slightly unreal, unfocussed appearance to the image as a whole which is quite atmospheric.

There's a bio of the artist, a short article about his technique and a selection of pictures at Nigel Kent at TOF Foundation. The Leather Archives blog also has a Nigel Kent bio. A search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) or other art groups will probably turn up more examples.

I welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Kalabro

Kalabro is a most interesting artist. In the past he has labelled his pencil drawings using many names - D-extreme, Morpheus, Kal and simply 'K'. He also has collaborators who produce coloured versions of his work with their own names appended - but Kalabro's own style is unmistakeable.

Kalabro - Punish a Pledge

 

The characters in the pictures are marked out by hard muscles. Their thighs and calves are disproportionately large but grafted onto long slender legs. In action poses these bodies are quite stylish in appearance.

Kalabro - Forced March

 

He typically depicts cute and muscular young men in peril but the dangers they face are far more explicit and extreme than your average comic hero has to face! They may face assaults on their manhood (of course!), brutal punching, throttling, even drowning at the hands of massive opponents. These are subjects which are unusual in fetish art. Conveying the action of a fist fight or showing underwater scenes is difficult in drawings and I admire Kalabro's ambition tremendously - it lifts his work into a different league.

Kalabro - Tarzan Beaten

 

There is a fantastical element to all these situations and Kalabro sometimes employs stock literary characters like Tarzan, Mummies and Beast-men to add colour and embellish the drama with our shared knowledge of these beings. The Tarzan example shown here is one of his more recent works and the technique is impressive. I like these sketches which have a freshness about them which can disappear in the hard edges of neat final versions. On his blog he regularly shows the development of a picture from sketch to finished article and you can judge for yourself.

Kalabro - Ben in Peril

 

Although he clearly draws inspiration from Comic Book imagery, there is a great deal of originality and inventiveness in Kalabro's reworking of these themes into adult entertainment. 'Ben in Peril' is a good example, I have never seen this idea before. The beautiful Ben is menaced not only by the whirling propeller sucking him in but also by the possible loss of his mouthpiece and the inevitable exhaustion of the oxygen cylinders. You can conjecture for yourself how he got into this pickle and what is going on above him on the boat. If you search for Kalabro's pictures you will find his heroes in plenty of even more challenging situations!

Interestingly many of Kalabro's pictures do not depict explicit sex. The erotic intention is always apparent but it's main thrust lies in the brutal subjugation and destruction of beautiful young manhood. Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose, but in a way that's the hook, Kalabro dangles beauty in front of us and then destroys it. Or at least he pushes it to the very edge of destruction and leaves the rest to you. It's all (relatively) bloodless, certainly no worse than the average Hollywood film.

Kalabro has a good blog at The Erotic Art of Kalabro where he shares and talks about his recent work.

It's not been updated for a while and he seems to have moved to Patreon.

 

UPDATE, Feb 2022 - I have added an extension to this article with lots more pictures and an update on where you can find his art in Best of Kalabro

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kai

Makoto Kai is an accomplished draughtsman with a dark mind. This iconic rubber mask picture doesn't simply show a fetish, it explores the psychology as well without detracting from the eroticism of the picture.

Kai - Gas Masks

The hose connecting the two captives is not a new idea but the simple representation here expresses a clear relationship between them which is quite thought provoking. The technology attached to the squatting man at both ends is equally interesting, the use of the hose as a frame for the picture is intellectually pleasing - and the radioactivity warning sign shows a nice sense of humour (or if you prefer a very dark mind indeed!). Even if you are uninterested in all this stuff, the picture is sexy and memorable.

Kai - Acupunked

Kai's simple and elegant technique is a delight and in other pictures he draws more directly on the traditions of Japanese calligraphy to represent bodily fluids as curling waves, the example here gives an idea of this. And yet alongside all the refined artistry is a very intense and explicit S&M message which would please the most ardent enthusiast! It seems very Japanese.

Kai also has produced coloured pictures which are more representational but my final sample of his work remains in the graphic mode and nicely complements my own fascination with rugby players with a twist of humour.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples. I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kaarlo

I don't know a lot about Kaarlo (I believe the name is Finnish) but the style of his pictures suggests the 1970/80's. Those I have in my collection are mostly dungeon scenes in which 'leather men' appear to be subjecting innocent-looking acolytes to demanding initiations. The pictures are carefully detailed with authentic-looking backgrounds and the leather men dressed in full regalia.

There is a sense of real action conveyed by writhing bodies and facial expressions. 

The flowing hairstyles and willowy, totally naked bodies of the initiates unmistakeably mark them as outsiders or novices when contrasted with the leather garb of their mentors. The Afro hairstyle and exotic moustache worn by this one (not to mention his jolly smile!) doesn't exactly suggest a dominant personality to modern eyes. It's a fashion born of the flower power era, but a contemporary viewer would (for example) reference the TV character of Jason King (ca 1970) played by Peter Wyngarde. His spy had a similar flamboyant appearance but also a disturbing combination of sickly charm with a penchant for ruthless violence.

This depiction of a wild S&M scene stars another Afro character who actually appears to black, unlike the leather man in the previous example. He's wearing a skimpy thong and corset-like belt that have a hint of femininity about them, but there's no doubting his masculinity in Kaarlo's depiction, even if you disregard his aggressive enactment of the ritual. It's quite a remarkable and attractive cameo.

The blindfolding leather hood in Kaarlo's work is a striking and slightly sinister symbol of domination but the prisoner restraint here, though spectacular is relatively modest. 

Fashions aside this scene is really quite timeless.

 More suspension and hooding in this picture but I've included it not so much for it's merits as a fetish picture, as for the 'flying' top ingredient. That's an image that is also featured in other well-known pictures: 'Time Out' by Ulf and 'Athlete' by Zamok. This manifestation suggests that the source inspiration is considerably older than I for one had ever imagined. 

The butcher's block and meat suspension rails are somewhat unsettling elements in this picture but the leather 'Master' looks like a regular guy-next-door. He probably won't have much energy left for nastiness after 15 minutes raising and lowering the lucky devil who's getting his oats here.

I'm surprised that this W-shaped restraint platform hasn't been adopted by the S&M community, combining as it does the arm spreading capability of a cross with an unusual ass-revealing, leg separating, ankle fixing and all in a compact design that can easily be stored between visitors. 

Visually, the tapering shape and sub's arm spread create a cup/bowl-like receptor into which the dom lowers himself for cleansing. It's quite a powerful composition. The irons heating up in the brazier behind them cast a darker shadow over these simple pleasures. For me this picture captures the essential connection with danger and dark sex which makes leather so alluring.

Kaarlo - Robinson Crusoe 1 (Shipwrecked)

 I can't leave Kaarlo without a mention of his 'Robinson Crusoe' series of 12 pictures 

charting the famous traveller's (trouserless!) ship-wreck. 

In his explorations of the island , he stumbles on a couple of locals who are intent on humiliating a fellow villager. Crusoe too is captured by them and both undergo suspension and whipping

(not dissimilar to the imagery above!).

Crusoe eventually escapes with his new friend, only to discover that the ship that has appeared in the bay is stuffed with young pirates who are very excited by the new arrivals.

Kaarlo's images aren't great art but they have a vitality and inventiveness that amply makes up for the technical weaknesses.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kamion

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I don't cover render artists in this survey, it is hard to compare CG techniques with hand produced art. This omission leaves me lots of material for a follow-up series! However, I will mention in passing Kamion whose dangerous subjects would normally qualify with ease.

Kamion - Barbarian Market

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This picture suggests something more serious than mere market trading - or perhaps it's me.

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below