Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1990, Bitte studied German language and culture at university. “Bitte” is German for “please.” She went on to find work in the medical field as a human resources manager. Along the way, in September 2018, Bitte bought an iPad and an Apple Pencil, and created her own distinctive characters – Lip-chan – whose faces are made up entirely of their lips. Bitte uses bright colors to make everyday scenery become cheerful, and mixes in the Lip-chans’ humor, with the aim of bringing lighthearted relief for the Japanese in their often strict, formal ways of working. Bitte also sells Lip-chan merchandise such as phone cases and T-shirts, and more people are becoming familiar with her world. She has exhibited her works at the “Intersection 6” group exhibition in Nagoya. In August 2019, she held her first solo exhibition in Nagoya. Bitte hopes that people across the globe will see and enjoy the Lip-chans’ world that overflows with humor. As an artist, she also aims to beneficially influence the way Japanese work by bringing back to them some of the positive energy that they send out to the world.
