My paintings focus on the individuals that are marginalized and occupy the corners of our world. Reviled as deformed or strange and seen as repelling and unpleasant, they are criticized and swept away. Yet they continue to live day to day, facing the darkness inside, struggling with the pain in their hearts. Listening to their voices, their cries, I cherish the images that arise and try to create simple and honest representations. – Kaz Watabe –
Profile
| Born in Chiba, Japan in 1975 Lives and works in Chiba, Japan |
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| 【Education】 | |
| 2006 | Graduated from Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Crafts, Department of Fine Arts, Painting major, Oil painting course |
| 【Selected Solo Exhibition】 | |
| 2023 | Kaz Watabe: Sakuhin-ten (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) Kaz Watabe: For All that Lives (SEIZAN Gallery Tokyo 凸, Tokyo) |
| 2022 | Kaz Watabe: Bucket Boy & Inchworm (SEIZAN Gallery, New York) |
| 2020 | Kaz Watabe: Hitsuji-bito no Sekai (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) |
| 2019 | Kaz Watabe: Kaiga-ten (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo) |
| 2017 | Kaz Watabe: Kaiga-ten (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) Kaz Watabe (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) |
| 2016 | Art Fair Tokyo 2016 “Kaz Watabe” (Tokyo International Forum, SEIZAN Gallery Booth, Tokyo) |
| 2015 | Kaz Watabe Kaiga-ten: Melancholy days (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) |
| 2014 | Kaz Watabe Kaiga-ten: Yume miru mono tachi (Ikebukuro Tobu, Tokyo) |
| 2013 | Kaz Watabe Artworks (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka) Kaz Watabe: Yume miru mono tachi (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) |
| 2012 | Kaz Watabe-ten (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) Kaz Watabe Sakuhin-ten: Mellowly (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) Kaz Watabe-ten (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) |
| 2011 | Kaz Watabe-ten (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) Art Space ∞ “Kaz Watabe Tokushu” (Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo) Kaz Watabe-ten (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka) |
| 【Selected Group Exhibition】 | |
| 2023 | WINTER GROUP SHOW: TRAVELING (SEIZAN Gallery, New York) Art Taipei (SEIZAN Gallery Booth, Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan) |
| 2022 | Summer Group Show (SEIZAN Gallery, New York) |
| 2021 | JOKER (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) |
| 2020 | Sparkle-ten: Ninki sakka no kagayaki (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka) A SINGLE ANT BITE (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo; SEIZAN GALLERY TOKYO 凸, Tokyo) |
| 2018 | Rin: Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Art Fair 2018 (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo) |
| 2016 | Yokai Tea Ceremony (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) SEIZAN Gallery 20th Anniversary Special Exhibition (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo) |
| 2014 | Kaiga-ichi (Funabashi Tobu, Chiba) |
| 2011 | Polka dot: Yayoi Kusama and Shinei Sakka-ten (Sendai Mitsukoshi, Miyagi) |
| 2010 | Yuga no Kanousei (Art Space Rashinban, Tokyo) Two Persons Exhibition “Hikojiro Fujisawa and Kaz Watabe” (Sapporo Daimaru, Hokkaido) Something Precious (SEIZAN Gallery, Tokyo, continued in 2011, 2014-2019, 2023 ) |
| 2009 | Kitai no Shinjin Sakka-ten (Art Space Rashinban, Tokyo) |
Exhibitions
SEIZAN GALLERY TOKYO 凸 Kaz Watabe: For All that Lives
19/04/2023(wed) - 27/04/2023(thu)
JOKER
10/12/2021(fri) - 22/12/2021(wed)
Hiroyuki Aoyama, Yukiko Hata, Yasushi Ikejiri, Haruomi Izumi, Eri Iwasaki, Yuki Koyano, Yoji Kumagai, machumaYu, Ayumu Matsuoka, Shunsuke Ochi, Akifumi Okumura, Toru Otsuki, Shinji Oya, Yurika Roppongi, Ken Shiozaki, Kei Sugiyama, Asako Tabata, Motohide Takami, Shinya Tamai, Koki Tsujimoto, Ami Yamashiro, Yohei Yashima, Yuki Yatsu, Kaz Watabe, Hao Yumo,
SEIZAN GALLERY & SEIZAN GALLERY TOKYO凸 A SINGLE ANT BITE
11/12/2020(fri) - 22/12/2020(tue)
Hiroyuki Aoyama, Yasushi Ikejiri, Sayaka Imai, Haruomi Yukiko Hata, Izumi, Emi Katsuta, Mao Kawasaki, Yoji Kumagai, Shunsuke Ochi, Akifumi Okuyama, Tomoaki Shimohira, Asako Tabata, Motohide Takami, Keitoku Toizumi, Koki Tsujimoto, Kaz Watabe, Yohei Yashima, Yuki Yatsu
Kaz Watabe oil paintings exhibition
10/10/2017(tue) - 20/10/2017(fri)
Kaz Watabe
ART FAIR TOKYO 2016 Kaz Watabe Exhibition
12/05/2016(thu) - 14/05/2016(sat)
Kaz Watabe