Kaori Watanabe (b. 1962, Kanagawa, Japan) is a contemporary Japanese painter known for her delicate, narrative-driven works that blend everyday scenes with dreamlike, symbolic imagery. Her paintings often explore themes of memory, family, and imagination through soft colors and detailed brushwork.

She graduated from Tama Art University in 1986 and completed her postgraduate studies in 1988. In 1989, she studied in Italy on a government scholarship and earned a degree from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in 1993. From 2008 to 2009, she conducted research in Greece as a fellow of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Active since the 1980s, Watanabe has exhibited in Tokyo, Florence, Athens, and Taipei, with solo shows at venues such as Galleria Grafica Tokio (now Galerie Chêne Tokyo), Tanishima Gallery, and Kobayashi Gallery. Her works have also appeared at major art fairs including Art Taipei and TCAF.

Watanabe’s art evokes a quiet surrealism, where familial scenes coexist with fantastical elements, inviting viewers into intimate and poetic worlds.