MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE CENTER
July 3–5, 2026 

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Atsuko Obata

小畑敦子

Atsuko Obata is a Japanese artist.
Her works have been exhibited extensively both in Japan and internationally.
Centering on motifs of cats and wildflowers, she has developed a distinctive artistic expression in which reality and imagination intersect.

小畑敦子は日本の画家。
日本のみならず世界各国に作品を出展し、猫や草花のモチーフを中心に、現実と幻想が交錯する独自の表現を展開している。

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 Endless Sky 

 どこまでも続く空 

Artist’s Statement

There is no country in the world without a sky.
It stretches endlessly above us—vast, high, and free.

Though separated by great distances, people share the same sky.
This work expresses a sense of connection that transcends borders, extending from Japan to the Republic of Malta.

空の見えない国はない、どこまでも広く高く自由に。
日本からマルタ共和国へ。

 Flower Viewing 

 お花見 

Artist’s Statement

A fully grown cat sat alone in a stroller placed in front of a pet shop.

Beside it were the food bowls it had likely used for many years.
Seeing the scene, I imagined that although the cat had been deeply loved, circumstances had made it impossible for its owner to continue caring for it.

Two young girls visiting the pet shop were drawn to the cat, yet eventually walked away.
Later, when one of them returned home, she discovered that the cat from the stroller was there.
Her father, too, had been touched by the cat and decided to bring it home.

The cat was given the name “Tamanyan” and became a cherished member of the family.
This work celebrates the happiness and warmth of that new beginning beneath the cherry blossoms of spring.

ペットショップの前に置かれたベビーカーに成猫が1匹。
これまで使っていたであろうその猫の食器と一緒に・・
きっと大切に育てたけれど、やむにやまれぬ事情で、
手放さなければならなくなったのだろう。
ペットショップに来た娘2人が、その猫に心惹かれながら立ち去る。
しばらくして娘が帰宅するとベビーカーに乗っていた猫が自宅に
娘の父もその猫に心惹かれ連れて帰ってきたという。
「たまにゃん」と呼ばれ大切に育てられられた。
桜の季節の幸せな時間。

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Japan-Europe Palace Art Association Commentary

Atsuko Obata’s paintings are rooted in a keen observation of cats, wildflowers, and the natural world, while at the same time enriched by a distinctive imaginative vision.
The cats that inhabit her works possess a vivid sense of presence; their fur, expressions, and gestures reveal the artist’s attentive gaze and long-standing engagement with her subjects.

In Flower Viewing and Endless Sky, fragments of puzzle pieces appear within landscapes inhabited by cats. Integrated seamlessly into scenes shaped by seasonal light and atmosphere, these elements become part of the pictorial world itself.
Although such compositions do not exist in reality, they achieve a natural sense of harmony within the picture plane.
This convincing unity is supported by the artist’s careful observation and accomplished draftsmanship.

Obata’s work is also distinguished by a profound sensitivity to the changing seasons.
Flowers and skies are never mere backgrounds; they serve as essential elements that give form to the passage of time surrounding the cats.
Through her warm regard for living things and her ability to transform observation into compelling visual expression, everyday scenes unfold into richly suggestive narratives.
Within these works reside both an affection for the familiar world and the joy of creation, giving rise to a pictorial universe that is unmistakably her own.

小畑敦子の油彩画は、猫や草花への細やかな観察を基盤としながら、そこへ独自の発想を重ねることで親しみ深くも印象的な世界を築いている。
作品に描かれる猫たちは生き生きとした存在感を湛え、毛並みや表情、仕草の一つひとつに対象を見つめ続けてきた作家の眼差しがうかがえる。
《お花見》と《どこまでも続く空》では、猫のいる風景の中にパズルの断片が配されている。
その意匠は季節の光や空気の描写と響き合いながら画面に溶け込み、現実には存在しない構成でありながら、一つの画面のなかで調和を保ちながら成立している。
それを支えているのは、対象への確かな観察と描写にほかならない。
また小畑敦子の作品には、季節の移ろいへの豊かな感受性が流れている。草花や空は背景ではなく、猫たちが生きる時間そのものを語る存在として描かれている。
身近な生命への温かなまなざしと、それを画面として結実させる表現力が重なり合うことで、現実の中に新たな物語が立ち上がる。
そこには日常への愛着と創造への喜びが息づき、小畑敦子ならではの世界観が伸びやかに広がっているのである。