Naoki Saito, known in Japan as さいとうなおき, is an illustrator who publishes instructional drawing books through the Japanese publisher PIE International and creates licensed character art, including work for Fate/Grand Order and Love Live! Superstar!!.Across a trio of NFT collections, he has explored ideas of fair pay for creators, artistic individuality, and collectible art that keeps one-of-one quality.
The first collection, GESTURES, envisions creators being paid fairly for their work through NFTs. The second, BRILLIANT, is about artists making the most of their own individuality rather than creating for mass consumption. The third, MEGAMI, turns his one-of-one practice into a collectible format: rather than receiving a work at random, buyers choose their own MEGAMI, or goddess, from artworks that range from pure and beautiful to frightening or evil.
In 2025, the Tokyo gallery GAAAT released a Metal Canvas Art collection tied to his book 業-NARIWAI-, featuring sixteen pieces drawn from his instructional books, original illustrations, and licensed character art, alongside a Tokyo exhibition.Saito also introduced an NFT auction mechanic in which every bidder, not just the winning one, receives a limited-edition 'stamp' as a thank-you, an idea that later inspired the artist Robek's rwx quest project.
