WWF's 16th Friend, Kentaro Okawara, is a Tokyo-based artist with exhibitions in Seoul, New York, and the United Kingdom who works in a variety of media including painting, fashion, and books, as well as collaborations with brands. This will be Kentaro's first solo exhibition in Korea and consists of approximately 60 works that showcase his work under the fairytale-like title of Fly With Your Wings. From the paintings and sculptures to the windows and chairs, the exhibition is his little world, filled with Kentaro's paintings. The seemingly unrealistic and fairytale-like scenes tell stories about him and his surroundings. He says that time spent and the emotions he shares with people are the biggest motifs in his work, and he depicts everyday life in his own way.

This show focuses on the many changes Kentaro has faced in the past year. After the time that he had to be separated from his lover and friends, each artwork captures new moments that he could see them again, stay together, and fly from place to place. Through this, he reflects on the time and emotions he has spent and reminds himself that being together is the reason he exists and continues to work. Maybe the scenes that look like fairy tales are our daily lives, with both sadness and joy. Hope this will remind you of the small but happy moments you had with someone.

He said ﹕＂I think I can be me because of everyone around me, and it reminded me that my wife inspires me a lot. We all exist because we are with someone, so wouldn't it be nice to live with this idea?＂

Interview with the Artist W﹕Please introduce yourself and this show. K﹕I’m Kentaro Okawara, a painting artist from Tokyo. This show is about the many changes I've faced recently. Since I got married and came to Korea last year, I've been spending more time with my wife and meeting new people, so that’s been a big part of my work.

W﹕How does the painting process work? K﹕Basically, I write down the feelings and thoughts that come to mind in a small notebook. When sketching, I tend to give the most importance to the feelings at the time, but sometimes I also draw things that I have previously written down. As for the order, I tend to sketch, paint the background color, and then express the dark colors first. In fact, I often don't do it in that order, and it depends on the moment rather than following a single method to complete the painting. I draw with my hands, and I use various materials such as brushes and sprays. I don't want the viewer to be able to figure out what order I painted in.

W﹕You showcase your work in a variety of mediums, including fashion, ceramics, and books. What is the difference? K﹕I use different mediums and different materials, but the idea of showing what I love is the same, and I don't think that changes the subject or my work. I think the work expresses a lot more of the pure, raw parts of who I am. Based on that, I think what you see on the surface is the product. I tried to show the good, the bad, and all the emotions I felt in this exhibition. When I go to museums and galleries, it's so much more fun to see various works, so I try to have a variety of expressions in my work rather than just one type of work And I don't want my work to be defined by any one style.

W﹕You draw familiar objects such as people, animals, and plants. What do you usually draw? K﹕The elements that are represented in the work are all about me - all the things that come up in my current relationships. For example, the devil is a doll I bought when I was in Spain, the koala is a Sydney friend I worked with for a calendar pop-up in December, and I have a hamster named Grapefruit at home. There are many flowers in my work. It's a common material in everyday life, and I put my emotions into it. I usually express my feelings of relief, and then I draw facial expressions according to my emotions. W﹕I found elements that look the same in different pieces, are they all connected? K﹕The work is basically under one big universe, but not everything is connected. There are parts where the same thing is represented on different scenes, but it's just the same thing, not a single story.

W﹕About love, the overarching theme of the painting. K﹕‘Love’ can be a big word and sometimes I don't know what it is, but the love I feel is really small things like spending time with the people around me, caring and noticing the little things about them. I think these people and things have shaped who I am and inspire me a lot. Without these feelings, I probably wouldn't be able to create anything.

Drawing Session with Kentaro Okawara We had a Drawing Session with Kentaro Okawara! All participants draw a work with the artist talking each other. ＊The completed drawings were displayed at the gallery with artworks. Date﹕2023.12.9. Saturday 2 ﹣6pm Location﹕Workingwithfriend （3, 4F, Workingwithfriend, 684-1, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu） Participants﹕6 people for a session Time﹕60 min

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