Kazuhiko Sano

A native of Japan, Kazuhiko Sano studied painting in Tokyo before moving to San Francisco in 1974 to study at the Academy of Art College, where he was awarded a merit scholarship and baccalaureate and masters degrees. During his three decades as a freelance illustrator and painter, he created advertising art and movie promotions for such prestigious clients as Lucasfilm, Coca-Cola, and American Express.

His beautifully conceived images featuring subjects from the 1970s appear on 12 United States postage stamps in the Celebrate the Century series.  Some of his more recent stamp designs include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (2007), Charles W. Chesnutt and Frank Sinatra, both issued in 2008, and the 2009 Gary Cooper and Bob Hope issuances.

The artist’s original works have been exhibited at the Central Museum in Tokyo and the Museum of American Illustration in New York. Mr. Sano died on May 31, 2011.