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Kentaro Okawara's joyful paintings tell us to put down our phones and make real connections with people we love

For his first UK solo show, Japanese artist Kentaro Okawara continues his long-held belief that making art is an expression of love and a means to connect with each other.

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All images courtesy of the artist and gallery

All images courtesy of the artist and gallery

On show at Public Gallery in London from 10 July, the new series of paintings, sculptures and drawings encourage us to think again, cast aside our differences and re-connect to our shared humanity.

Within his world of bright colours and stylised motifs, his works address the importance of direct eye-to-eye and face-to-face communication, particularly in a digital age where we seem to exchange our thoughts and feelings primarily over the Internet.

In each piece, you'll find a cocktail of humans, creatures, and personified objects that interact with each other in intimate and bizarre ways to create a world that can be endearingly engaged by all. This idea of inclusivity is at the core of his work: "I want to continue to create a space and a world that can be shared across cultures and generations," he said.

"When I was growing up, I began to realise that everyone has a different way of seeing and experiencing the world. I began to see that even though the world is big and complex, it is also very intertwined. It all comes down to the simplest and most important level which is connecting with people."

Hold Tight at Public Gallery in East London runs from 10 July until 3 August 2019.

Kentaro Okawara painting showing a smiling character with a bow tie on a yellow background, with two red profile heads facing each other below and purple panels decorated with stars and sun rays above
Colourful abstract painting by Kentaro Okawara filled with stylised characters, creatures and objects interacting in vibrant reds, blues, pinks and greens
Kentaro Okawara painting of a blue bird-like creature with an extended beak gazing at an orange seahorse-like figure against a purple background, with a tiny white figure in the distance
A golden yellow cactus with a smiling face and raised arms against a coral pink background, with a small black star symbol to its left
Kentaro Okawara's densely populated painting filled with colourful stylised figures, creatures and personified objects interacting against a blue background, with small houses and a bright yellow sun at the centre.
Colourful illustration of a figure with a yellow head and purple hair holding a smiling flower, with a large grinning face forming the body, purple star-patterned wing, and small house and creatures on a teal background
Bright yellow sun with spiky rays and a smiling face against a purple background, with a small sad pink face below it
Golden figure with outstretched arms on teal background, surrounded by stylised insects and abstract shapes in Kentaro Okawara's painting
Vibrant painted figure with yellow body, red heart and facial features, blue winged arms, and small yellow figure on shoulders against purple background
Purple stylised creature with spiky head holding a red ribbon, interacting with a smaller teal figure against a coral background with white cloud shapes
Artist Kentaro Okawara sits contemplatively in his studio surrounded by colourful paintings, sculptures and art materials including paint bottles and brushes
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