Yuko Okabe (she/they) is an illustrator and cultural worker playing at the intersection of youthful whimsy and community engagement. She likes making characters, stories, curriculums, murals, and other colorful things.

Okabe holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Their illustration practice received recognition from the Society of Illustrators NYC, Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (SILA), Creative Quarterly, and 3x3 The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration. Through grants and fellowships, Okabe's community arts practice received support from the New England Foundation for the Arts, Tufts University Collective Futures Fund, Rhode Island School of Design's Maharam STEAM Fellowship, and the Enterprise Community Partners' Rose Fellowship. She is currently a studio artist at the Boston Center for the Arts. 

She’s a proud auntie and an amateur oatmeal influencer @yukoats. ​​​​​​​