Yuji Uchiyama (Japan)

I was born in October 1948 in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, famous for its Echizen washi paper. I studied graphic design and have been working as an art director ever since. The main reason I became interested in painting is because of my father’s work. I realized that watercolors are the best way to express my true nature, such as the emotions and presence that arise in my heart, as well as the aesthetic sense I acquired from growing up watching hanging scrolls, folding screens, and sliding doors being made from a young age, and the joy of making things with my own hands. I like to paint still lifes because I am more attracted to empty spaces and have a desire to monopolize the place. I paint repeatedly, trying to fix my thoughts on the screen with many layers of paint. Even when I’m walking, I take photos of things that interest me, combine them with design elements, and work in the studio, focusing on texture and depth using various techniques such as light and shadow, which excites me. It is very stimulating for a creator to become a magician who creates invisible mechanisms to delight the viewer and allow them to read the story.

My creations are like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, like the view from the window of a train as you daydream while heading to the final destination.

Today I am heading to my next destination, IWM2026 , a dream come true.

It is a great honour to be invited to exhibit in the International Watercolour Masters Exhibition which is now  world famous. England is known as the traditional home of watercolour.

IWM is the watercolour Festival all Masters wish to appear in.