Biography

Hiromi Watanabe, also known as Yuriko, is a contemporary Japanese artist from Tokyo. She specializes in spontaneous watercolor paintings on paper, deeply and intimately expressing her inner emotions. Celebrated for her distinctive sense of color, she demonstrates exceptional skill in watercolor croquis. To date, she has held 18 solo exhibitions and participated in over 130 group shows, presenting her work internationally in four countries.

Having her work exhibited in museum collections is her lifelong goal. As a poet, she has published the collection Songs Woven from Feelings for That Person. She has also released the art book Watercolor Croquis: Painting with Free Colors (2022), along with several picture books, contributing illustrations and poems to a total of 18 publications.

Falling Snow Like Petals ~ Waiting for My Beloved in the Garden Where Purple Anemones Bloom ~/2025/watercolor/w41.0 x h31.80cm

The recurring “smile” motif in her works originates from the despair arising from suppressed self-expression during her difficult school years and from confronting death while facing multiple serious illnesses, including myasthenia gravis (MG). Another key theme is her delicate portrayal of women tormented by unrequited love, inspired by the pain of her own unfulfilled feelings.

The END of Love ~ Ranunculus - You are full of charm -~/2022/watercolor/W 31.8cm x H 41.0cm

While enduring occasional anxiety and melancholy, she regards these challenges as spiritual discipline that refines her heart and soul, quietly acknowledging that everyone carries their own burdens. Driven by the profound longing to “meet the Buddha in this world”—a deep desire for liberation from suffering—she continues her creative practice. Works that began as a means of personal healing now provide comfort to those experiencing similar struggles, offering peace to viewers.

Elegy of Love/2021/watercolor/w33.3 x h24.2cm

Meanwhile, in Hiromi’s fantastical old sketches and imaginative notes from her student days, rich untapped ideas lie dormant as she pursues what she truly wishes to express. Guided by the belief that “even within despair, a single ray of light can be found and transformed into healing,” she cherishes the emotions of the present moment through her devoted artistic journey.

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