Whitestone Gallery Hollywood Road is delighted to present the first solo exhibition of Osamu Watanabe: Sweet Summer. More than 20 artworks form the artist’s career will be present at this exhibition, including three different series: “Oriental Dream”(based on Japanese traditional culture), “European Fantasy” (focused on iconic architectures and fine art), and “Life” (captured animals from the land and the sea).

Osamu Watanabe born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1980, graduated from the Department of Design at Tokyo Zokei University in 2003. He is known as Prince of Sweets in the art scene by creating “Resin Cream Art”: he is one of the leading figure of Japanese contemporary art, especially of “Kawaii Art” which pushes forward Japanese aesthetic of cuteness. Unlike most of other artists, Watanabe uses cream pipe as his instrument to renowned to his unique style. His fixation with all things sweet is traced back to his childhood, when his mother was teacher of a confectionary school. Sweets are always connected to his memory of happiness, which always swells inside.

Watanabe is not just an artist also a dream keeper: from the combination of Japanese artificial renditions of food display and fine art, he creates something never seen. By using of durable media such as resins that enable him to portray dynamic, collective and rhythmical designs, a long-lasting happiness appears with various expressions. Watanabe challenges also to the tradition: he produces a brand-new artwork by transforming masterpieces of van Gogh and Kano Eitoku into his own creative style.

Whitestone Gallery Hollywood Road will cordially invite you to experience this unique dulcet world in full summer of Hong Kong.

HONG KONG / H Queen’s

8F / H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2523 8001
Fax: +852 2523 8005
Opening Hours: 11:00 - 19:00
Closed: Sunday, Monday
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ARTIST

OSAMU WATANABE
OSAMU WATANABE

Osamu Watanabe is a prominent artist who has transformed the art of sweet decoration into a captivating art form. In 2000, Watanabe ventured into a new artistic field that he pioneered, known as ‘Fake Cream Art.’ This distinctive style uses artificial food materials to craft decorative and edible-looking treats inspired by various themes. Watanabe’s deep passion for confectionary art stems from his childhood, where his mother, a confectionary schoolteacher, instilled in him a love for sweets associated with joyful memories of anniversaries and birthdays. As a result, the idea of utilising candies became a focal point of his works.

Watanabe’s highly entertaining works have garnered widespread recognition, with prominent features on TV shows, department store displays, and collaborations with animation creators and beauty salons. Even among those with limited exposure to art, his creations have gained considerable acclaim. In an interview, Watanabe expressed his aspirations to collaborate and promote his artistic vision on a global scale, stating: “I would like to collaborate with various media and companies to realize projects that will link my style of expression with all kinds of cultures and spread it across the world as if the cream is volumizing itself.”

Using references from classical subjects frequently encountered in art history, Watanabe adds his unique touch to create a series of artworks that challenge conventional values and perceptions. While his renowned series revolves around animal themes, he has also produced various other series, such as adorning famous paintings and sculptures with fake cream and sweets, crafting dry landscape gardens adorned with fake white cream, and depicting decorated world heritage sites.

Watanabe’s talent has gained international recognition, leading to solo exhibitions in Japan and China, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, the United States, and South Korea. Furthermore, his works have been in prestigious collections, including the Ohara Museum of Art in Okayama Prefecture and the Kiyosu City Haruhi Art Museum in Aichi Prefecture.

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