Born in 1922 in Sumiyoshi — a town later merged into Kobe — and raised in Osaka, Shōji Oki (沖潤二) was a Japanese artist celebrated for his work in the underground world of SM illustration.

Starting in 1947 as a Western-style sign painter, Oki entered the world of SM publishing with the November 1951 issue of Kitan Club. He went on to contribute to leading fetish magazines such as SM Select and SM Fan.
His style was defined by delicate linework, fantasy, and restraint. Though more discreet than some of his contemporaries, Oki’s work holds a unique place in Japan’s postwar subculture.