Riekeles Gallery – Mission

Riekeles Gallery is committed to preserving and celebrating the artistry of Japanese animation, with a special focus on elevating the work of individual background artists. By offering exclusive, high-quality reproductions of rarely seen background artwork, we bring attention to this often overlooked artform. Working directly with the artists and art directors behind legendary films like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Metropolis and Kiki’s Delivery Service, we reveal the creative minds that shape these cinematic worlds, making their achievements accessible to a global audience.

Our mission is to honor the craftsmanship and architectural vision in anime backgrounds, bringing them to the fore through archival-quality reproductions and carefully curated exhibitions. At Riekeles Gallery, we connect fans and collectors with authentic, artist-approved pieces that celebrate the unique cultural impact of anime. Through exhibitions worldwide, we aim to inspire future generations of artists and enthusiasts by preserving these significant works and sharing the hidden achievements of anime’s background artists for years to come.

Stefan Riekeles – Founder and Curator

As the founder of Riekeles Gallery and a leading curator of anime art, Stefan Riekeles has established an international reputation for exploring the architectural and artistic elements of Japanese animation. His work includes the acclaimed Proto Anime Cut: Spaces and Visions in Japanese Animation (2011–2013), which showcased original concept art and background paintings from anime classics like Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Patlabor for the first time in Europe. This exhibition toured major venues across Europe, including Künstlerhaus Bethanien, HMKV Dortmund, Cartoonmuseum Basel, La Casa Encendida in Madrid, and the Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn.

In 2016, Stefan curated the Anime Architecture exhibition, held at the Tchoban Foundation in Berlin and the House of Illustration in London (2027). This exhibition solidified his reputation as a leading authority on the architectural aspects of anime, culminating in the publication of Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities (2020), a definitive reference for anime art enthusiasts.

In 2022, Stefan curated the AKIRA – Architecture of Neo Tokyo exhibition at the Tchoban Foundation in Berlin which extended to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Florida in 2024-2025. This installation provides a rare insight into AKIRA's cityscapes, focusing on the work of art director Toshiharu Mizutani and his team.

In 2023, Stefan co-curated the Cityscapes in Anime Background Art exhibition at the Yoshiro and Yoshio Taniguchi Museum of Architecture in Kanazawa, Japan, where he presented his research to a Japanese audience, completing a unique cross-cultural perspective on anime.

Partners

Riekeles Gallery has developed a robust network of personal contacts with artists, producers, and licensing partners, allowing us to offer exclusive collectibles and behind-the-scenes insights into the anime industry.

We work closely with Eizo Workshop in Japan, an organization dedicated to archiving and showcasing media art, film, and photography. Founded by Noriyuki Kimura (artist and video producer) and Hiroko Myokam (curator and media art researcher) in 2018, Eizo Workshop is a trusted partner of Riekeles Gallery.