M7kenji brings pixel-perfect simplicity to PixelTweet app

Back in 2012, visual artist and app developer m7kenji (Kenji Kishi) took a moment to talk with FEMICOM Museum about inspiration, process, and playing through The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening as a kid. As it just so happens, the young artist from Tokyo has been busy since then, releasing a flurry of animation work, apps, and even some glitched-out apparel.

For example, in 2013, m7kenji lent his talents to this wonderfully cute short for Japan’s Space Shower TV.

The 30-second bumper no doubt served as a major inspiration for Pharrell Williams’s It Girl music video, created by some of the same crew (including m7kenji) and produced by Takashi Murakami.

Recently, m7kenji brought the pixel cuteness to PixelTweet, a free iOS/Android app published by Handsum. In PixelTweet, the user can touch, drag, and drop itty-bitty solid and shaded squares to create simple pixel art. Once a masterpiece is complete, it’s easily shared from within the app via twitter.

m7kenji applies a “simplicity is best” mentality to this app, as demonstrated in its coyly humorous description, which I’ve translated from its original Japanese:

There is no color. There is no palette. There are no layers. There is no selection tool. There is no copy, cut, or paste. There is no rotation tool. There is no eraser. There is no undo or redo. We’ve made the app as streamlined as possible so that you can focus on your artwork rather than on the tool.”

If you want to see just how creative folks are getting with PixelTweet, check the #pixelTweet hashtag on twitter to see users’ latest creations. And of course, be sure to follow @m7kenji to see what his next creation might be!

by Rachel Weil on Monday, May 11, 2015