矢野元春 Motoharu Yano

矢野元晴　Motoharu Yano from Kamakura, Japan will teach impressionist watercolor.

(WORKSHOP／Japanese with some English translation).

Motoharu Yano (矢野元晴) is a Japanese watercolor artist born in 1988 in Kamakura, where he continues to live and work. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art with a degree in design in 2012, he initially worked in architectural design before fully dedicating himself to watercolor painting in 2016.
Yano is known for his distinctive technique called "Watercolor Impressionism" (ルースペインティング), which emphasizes dynamic contrasts of light and shadow to evoke atmosphere and emotion. His works often depict landscapes from Kamakura and various travel destinations in Japan and abroad, capturing fleeting moments with elegant simplicity.
In 2017, he founded the Kamakura Watercolor School (鎌倉水彩画塾) to share the beauty of watercolor with a broader audience. His mission is to enrich lives through art and to promote watercolor painting.
Yano has held numerous exhibitions, including solo shows in Tokyo, Wakayama, and Kamakura. His work has been featured in international exhibitions such as the Watercolor International Exhibition 2023 in Greece, where he was one of six Japanese artists selected among 30 global participants. He also participated in the Freedom Ukraine 2023 international art initiative.
He has appeared on NHK and other media, and his paintings have been used in publications such as Heisei Kamakura Memories, The Heart of Japan, and Kamakura Lord’s Memories. His instructional book, Painting Landscapes with Watercolor Impressionism, was published by Graphic-sha in 2022.
Yano continues to inspire through live painting events, teaching, and his commitment to spreading the joy of watercolor art.