Imaginary Stage Cast　　　　　　　 Watahiki Akihiro

When I create a work of art, one thing that is indispensable is a scrapbook in which I keep my childhood doodles and fragments of memories. This large A3-size scrapbook now has 25 volumes.

It contains decades of my ideas. And in the actual productions, many of the mysterious characters that came out of this book appear. I call them my cast, and I cast them like actors on a stage, scene by scene. They are all very smooth and can become any character, depending on who is watching them. The inhabitants of this imaginary stage will continue to act out their roles with great freedom.

Japan is currently suffering from an unprecedented earthquake and tsunami. I believe in the mysterious power of art. The works of art can be close to the viewers' hearts, heal them, and stir their imagination. I would like to continue to experiment with this power in the future as I have in the past.

Watabiki Akihiro

While in graduate school, Watabiki won the Grand Prize at the Seibu Museum of Art Printmaking Grand Prize Exhibition, and began his career as an artist focusing on copperplate prints. In 1990, Watabiki began to produce works using clearagraph, an original painting technique in which he paints from the reverse side of a transparent acrylic plate.

From 2002, he stayed in Spain for about a year as an overseas art trainee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. He has held numerous solo and group exhibitions at galleries throughout Japan. In 2013, he was invited to participate in the Niijima International Glass Art Festival, where he produced glass works, and he continues to develop his expression through various media that transcend genres.