YOHEI WATANABE

YOHEI WATANABE
Born 1976, Saitama, Japan
Lives and works in NY

"Painting is the only thing that I can ever imagine doing in my lifetime. It is the only thing that I’ve ever wanted to pursue and dedicate my life to doing. Therefore, I am avaricious about it. I cannot imagine ever being satisfied with my work. My aspiration makes me think ahead. Disciplines and quests are my daily tasks for improvements.

I am a self-taught painter and I learn simply from observations of the world surrounding me. I examine textures, materials, colors and other qualities that aid and defines my techniques of painting. Photographs are a unique source of my thoughts, especially those of vintage styles and collections of skillful photographers that I admire. The intricate details of colors, textures, and the fragileness of photographs are astonishing to me. They empower me to want to learn my work even more.

My methods are uncontrollable mediums. Though I am aware of the character of the mediums, my work is more defined when effects don’t meet my expectations sometimes, and I think this is one of the real pleasures of painting. There are no mistakes when I paint because I use mistakes as great opportunities to obtain new techniques, which plays out great on my canvases.

If I imagine what to make in my head, I feel that I am in a cage. There are no joys, curiosity, risky attempts or new techniques in it. Experiments exceed imaginations easily, knowing this I have never been in a cage.

These are my passions that keep me conscious in my everyday life as a painter." (Yohei Watanabe)



☁ YOHEI WATANABE