October Exhibition Keico Watanabe Solo Exhibition News <Click here> Gallery Hours : Tuesday to Saturday 12:00 - 6:00PM |
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Keico Watanabe’s Solo Exhibition “For you are with me” NY Coo Gallery in October presents Keico Watanabe’s solo exhibition. Growing up in Tokyo, Japan, Watanabe became an illustrator with the particular knack for depicting everyday city life. Always curious, Watanabe often followed her intuition and traveled in search of a new world. Since arriving in New York City in 1999, Watanabe has been creatively busy, painting Manhattan and using the energy of its people as a main theme. Then at some point, she began to warm up to the idea of recreating through her work the words of the Bible that she hears during Sunday sermons.
Keico Watanabe ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ Keico Watanabe seems to have found “that special something” with conceptual width and depth that provides the basis and direction for her to establish her own artistic domain for her artistic future. I am envious. What is that “special something”? What would it evolve into? This exhibition signals the beginning of the evolution and gives us a glimpse of what’s to come. “I was never into studying. My love was cruising around on my big motorcycle,” says Watanabe whose past paintings were densely covered with idealized romanticism. I assume that the romanticism associated with riding motorcycles and mannerism of Watanabe’s past painterly themes, the cityscape afloat sunset-like colors with a solitary figure in the front, have provided her, somehow, a means to express her inner-self, perhaps as an emotional outlet. One wonders if Watanabe could further broaden her artistic territory through the same series? She is now putting those series behind her. In order for an artist to move forward, not a single past experience is wasted. Every experience helps artists grow. In other words, you can’t find the truth nor can you move forward as an artist without making mistakes or detours. Watanabe's joy through the answers to questions of what artistic expression means to its maker's life, as well as to the viewer's, is the prime motivation for this exhibition. Hence, it is an artist's testimony.Hitoshi Nakazato ( Contemporary Artist / Former Professor at Graduate School Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania )
The book of Psalms is found in the middle of the Old Testament. It consists of 150 songs of cries from the heart of the people. They are also laments on hardship and thanksgiving for emancipation. People have loved them for years and the songs touch our heart in the 21st Century. They are prayer, praise and confession to God and testimony of the lives with God toward people.
Keico Watanabe Profie Graduated Tama Art University, Tokyo B.F.A. in Oil Painting and Printing Awards: Japan Illustration Show / Japan Art Printing Association, Tokyo Art Museum/ Japan Art Printing Association, Tokyo Art Museum, etc...
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