Mitsuru Watanabe (b. 1953, Aomori, Japan) is a prominent figure in contemporary Japanese figurative painting. A graduate of the Department of Oil Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, Watanabe draws significant influence from European Renaissance and Baroque art, developing a distinctive style that merges classical techniques with contemporary narratives. 

He is best known for his recurring use of his daughter, Naoko, as a central figure in his paintings. Portrayed as a saint, a fairy-tale heroine, or an allegorical character, Naoko becomes part of richly layered, theatrical compositions filled with symbolic references, historical figures, animals, and angels.

Watanabe’s paintings are marked by meticulous brushwork and luminous layering of oils. His art blends Western classical idioms with Japanese aesthetics, reflecting themes of family, imagination, and time. Since the 1990s, his work has been exhibited widely in cities such as Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, Taipei, and New York, and has attracted strong attention in the international art market. Watanabe’s work offers a poetic and humorous visual dialogue that transcends time and culture. His artwork has been collected by the Wakayama City Museum of Modern Art in Japan.