When artist Shogo Ota learned his design had been chosen as Seattle’s official FIFA World Cup poster, he was so surprised that he nearly had to pull his car over.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve been making posters for local bands and events for over fifteen years, but this was huge. I felt really honored and lucky.”

Born and raised in Hachiman, Gifu, Japan, Ota grew up surrounded by rivers, forests, and mountains images that continue to ripple through his work. “The Pacific Northwest feels a lot like home,” he says. “There’s nature, four seasons, animals. I always use sea creatures or local wildlife in my posters and murals. That connection keeps me inspired.”

After studying in Idaho, Ota moved to Seattle and never looked back. Through his one-man operation,  Tireman Studio, he handles every step of the creative process himself, from sketching to painting to final installation. He typically juggles 10 to 15 projects at a time, ranging from murals and posters to logos and other client work, often working late into the night to keep everything moving.

Ota’s vivid, flowing lines now stretch across the city, transforming blank walls into landmarks of vivacious color. His murals appear along I-5, in West Seattle, and throughout the Chinatown–International District. He has also designed and hand painted large-format art pieces for global companies, including Starbucks, Facebook, and Snow Peak.

Each of Ota’s projects is distinct yet unmistakably his, tied together by a sense of rhythm and movement. “I don’t stick to one style,” he says. “I’d call it a versatile style. I mix Japanese art history with Western culture, sometimes adding psychedelic, detailed patterns. I enjoy exploring different mediums—it’s a versatile, almost ADHD style.”

He calls it an “invisible connection” between artist and viewer, a quiet thread woven into the city’s visual story. “It’s like a piece of me becomes part of the community,” he reflects. “People might not know I made it, but they remember the visual when they pass by a wall near a school or grocery store. That connection becomes part of their memory.”