Mikio Watanabe

Espoir (Hope -- the expression of desire through high anticipation)

1989

Mikio Watanabe was born in 1954 in Yokohama, Japan. After completing his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Tokyo in 1977, he left Japan from Yokohama harbor, crossed Siberia and went to Paris, where he settled down to work. In Paris, he learned engraving techniques at the Atelier 17, where he studied from 1979 –81, with Stanley William Hayter. His mezzotints often feature Yuriko, his wife and model. Watanabe’s prints have won prizes in many international print exhibitions, including the “Salon de la Gravure Originale” in Bayeux, France in 1989 and the “Miniprint International” in Cadaques, Spain in 1992. Watanabe currently lives in Paris and continues to exhibit his work around the world. He has had more than 50 one-man shows, and his works can be found in many public collections including Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the Central Academy of Art in Kuala Lumpur and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Mikio is a member of the International Academy “Greci-Marino,” in Italy.