OSAMU WATANABE

It has been a long time since we’ve experienced the elevated feeling of wonder. In today’s information-driven society, everything is exposed, and words like “mystery” and “the unknown” seem to have become obsolete. We’ve become intoxicated by the clarity of “understanding” and, in doing so, may have neglected the wealth of possibilities that the “unknown” holds.

Osamu Watanabe looks back on his origins, recalling memories such as watching his mother, a pastry chef, decorate sweets—a scene so vivid that even the sweet scent seems to rise from it. He also reflects on his childhood fascination with mythical creatures like Nessie, the Yeti, and UFOs, which he encountered through TV shows and magazines. Whether these creatures actually existed is irrelevant; what matters is the thrill of the chase and the imagination they sparked within him.

Now that life seems to be returning to normal after the pandemic, when our physical range of activities was limited and we were forced to turn inward, we continue to face ongoing global disasters and conflicts that threaten our peace. In such times, what can we rely on? The answer is nothing else but “individual happiness.”

The “dinosaurs” featured in this exhibition are metaphors for those blissful memories. The act of reminiscing itself is infused with a sweet narrative, filtered through time, which incorporates the present and connects to a future where we imagine a new axis of happiness—a nostalgia for a time yet to be seen.

We would be delighted if you could visit the gallery and immerse yourself in the “sweet pop” world of Osamu Watanabe as we enter the first days of spring.