Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight: Shinji Kanda

Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Shinji Kanda, Sword & Shield

This week’s Pokémon TCG Artist Spotlight focuses on newcomer Shinji Kanda who illustrated a monster of a hit: Giratina V Alternate Art.

Throughout the years, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has featured a variety of incredible art styles. Now that the hobby has been around for more than a quarter of a century, we have seen the artwork of Pokémon TCG cards elevated by daring new artist choices as well as illustrators who have been veteran contributors since the very first releases. Let’s take a journey through the eye-popping, mind-expanding history of Pokémon TCG artwork by exploring some of the hobby’s most interesting and unique artists. Today, we will spotlight Shinji Kanda.

Shinji Kanda is a relative newcomer to the Pokémon TCG. They had a subtle but interesting initial contribution with two cards in Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. These cards, Sawk and Magmar, showed a unique style that played with form and color in interesting, innovative ways. Kanda had our attention from jump but blew expectations out of the water two sets later, when they delivered the second-most valuable and coveted chase card of the entire Sword & Shield era.

The Giratina V Alternate Art from Sword & Shield – Lost Origin is second only to the $600+ Umbreon VMAX Alternate Art from Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. This mind-bending card sees Giratina in its Origin Forme, flying through its home dimension: the Distortion World. Kanda’s depiction of this world successfully depicts a realm so intricate and weird that it’s almost hard to look at, but I just can’t stop. A truly gorgeous card, this Alternate Art has set at a high value since release.

Shinji Kanda has gone on to contribute more interesting pieces of artwork that shows a desire to deliver memorable and iconic illustrations. Kanda’s Galarian Moltres Illustration Rare was featured as a SWSH Black Star Promo for Crown Zenith tins. Kanda entered the Scarlet & Violet era with this Magikarp Illustration Rare, which was one of the most desired cards in Scarlet & Violet – Paldea Evolved. With such a strong start, I expect Kanda to become a modern icon of the hobby.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby’s past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.

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