Naohisa Inoue was born in 1948 in Osaka, Japan. He is a fantasy artist and painter whose creative work is significantly influenced by both the Surrealism and Impressionism movements. His artistic education took place at the Kanazawa College of Art, which he attended from 1971 to 1973. In addition to his artistic practice, Inoue holds a position as a professor at Seian University of Art and Design.

Inoue is most widely recognized as the creator of Iblard, a detailed and imaginative fantasy world that serves as the primary setting for the vast majority of his paintings. This world first appeared in published form with the 1983 picture book A Journey to Iblard, which received the Kodansha Picture Book Newcomer Award. The world of Iblard has since expanded into numerous other publications, including art books, manga, and even a video game.

His connection to the animation industry, particularly with Studio Ghibli, began when Hayao Miyazaki attended an exhibition of his work. This encounter led Inoue to contribute his unique visual style as a background and reference artist for the 1995 film Whisper of the Heart, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo. In this film, his paintings of Iblard are used to represent the fantastical visions of the main character. He also made a brief cameo appearance in the film as the voice of a character named Minami.

Inoue's original creations have been adapted more directly into animated works. The short film The Day I Bought a Star (also known as The Day I Harvested a Star), directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, is a direct adaptation of his Iblard paintings and is screened exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. In 2007, Inoue himself directed an original video animation titled Iblard Jikan, which was also produced by Studio Ghibli. Rather than following a traditional narrative, this film is best described as a visual tone poem or a musical journey through the landscapes of Iblard, using animated versions of his paintings.

The core of Inoue's artistic identity is the development of Iblard, a land he describes as one that can be found in real life when a person encounters a moment of extraordinary beauty, such as a striking sunset or a unique cityscape. He encourages viewers to see themselves as "Iblarders," capable of transforming their perception of the everyday world into something magical. His work blends the whimsical and the surreal with a sense of nostalgic accessibility, a style that has been described as making surrealism appealing to a broad audience.

Naohisa Inoue's significance to the industry is defined by the unique trajectory of his career. Beginning as a painter and educator, his original world-building caught the attention of one of Japan's most famous animation studios. His collaboration with Studio Ghibli brought his personal artistic vision to a global audience, first as a visual element within another filmmaker's story and later as the direct source material for animated shorts. His role as a director on Iblard Jikan further solidifies his status as an original creator who has successfully translated his static paintings into a moving, time-based medium.