About
Pleasant Shimo creates contemporary art prints informed by place, memory, and lived experience. We work with local artists to capture how a neighbourhood feels, not just how it looks.
Each piece begins with lived experience and careful observation. Through close collaboration with artists in Vancouver and Tokyo, we translate familiar streets, parks, and intersections into visual narratives that feel personal, grounded, and enduring.
Our Creative Process
Every Pleasant Shimo print begins with conversation. We take time to understand how an artist sees a neighbourhood and why it matters to them. From there, we move through a thoughtful, collaborative process shaped by research, iteration, and dialogue. Artists lead creatively, while Pleasant Shimo provides structure, feedback, and editorial guidance. The goal is clarity without compromise, allowing each piece to evolve naturally while staying true to the place it represents.
The Artists
We collaborate with emerging artists who bring a distinct perspective and a personal connection to the neighbourhoods they depict. Many of our artists are underrepresented voices working across illustration, printmaking, and painting. What unites them is not style, but intention. Each artist is chosen for their ability to translate lived experience into work that feels considered, honest, and deeply tied to place.
The Team
Pleasant Shimo was founded by Brett Kwan, a former international journalist whose work has taken him from Vancouver to Istanbul to Tokyo.
After a decade spent telling stories across cultures and earning an MBA from McGill University, Brett created Pleasant Shimo as a way to bring together storytelling, community, and thoughtful design. The project reflects a belief that places matter, and that how we remember them deserves care.
Website design by Marko Matijevic, with thanks for his considered and collaborative approach.