Interviewing the Watercolor Artist, Kazuya Morimoto

Kazuya Morimoto is a New York City local artist who has been painting the picturesque streets of the West Village in watercolor for the past thirteen years. Finding himself bombarded with requests to paint street scenes including people’s apartments, dogs, restaurants, and storefronts, he eventually began to make a living out of his paintings. 

If you take a stroll in the West Village, chances are that you will bump into a man capturing each of the landmark West Village shops and corners with watercolors. That artist is Kazuya Morimoto.

“This only happens in New York City!”

In Japan, Kazuya worked with the artist Makoto Arimichi who advised him to move abroad. In 2000, Kazuya acted upon the advice and moved to New York City. It took him seven years and a heartbreak to start painting the historical streets of the West Village. His first painting was on the Bleecker Street and W 11th street.

“In 2007, I returned from a trip to Europe. Back then, I was dating a girl who I was deeply in love with. Just two days before Christmas, she broke up with me. She was my dream girl and I was depressed and miserable without her. I didn’t want to stay at home, so I came down here to the Bleecker Playground where we are having this interview. I was hoping I could meet some people in the streets but this neighborhood is completely empty around Christmas.

I was sitting on one of those benches when a girl showed up. She was the only person in the street. It was Liv Tyler. I couldn’t believe it. I realized I was carrying a DVD of one of her movies in my pocket. After a few minutes, she came back and I asked her for an autograph. She was surprised to learn that I had her movie with me.

After she gave me the autograph, we started talking about my ex-girlfriend who had just broken up with me. It was when she said  ‘don’t worry, you’re going to find a new girl’ when I realized that this only happens in New York City! Earlier that day, I was dumped and, later that day I bumped into and was talking to an actress who I have admired for years. After this incident, my perception of New York City completely changed.”

“I want to paint something historical and magical.”

“This neighborhood feels like a movie set. It is an old neighborhood [...] I want to paint something historical before it’s gone.” 

From the Bleecker Playground, you can see the Magnolia Bakery made famous by Sex & The City, and a few old buildings specific to the West Village. When mentioning his favorite place, Kazuya describes the corner of the 11th and the W 4th Street which is also home to an impressive centenary tree. This place also happens to be Liv Tyler’s former house, which explains how he ran into her in the same neighborhood. It’s a corner he spends a lot of time painting, in fact, Kazuya’s studio is right across the street. 

“I like the W4th street. It’s a lovely local street. Bleecker is beautiful as well but it’s a commercial and touristic street. The places in West Village, Greenwich Village and SoHo are immensely beautiful too. Sadly, many stores have closed now. ” 

Kazuya recently saw the closing of many of the stores he used to paint. “Unfortunately, many stores have disappeared after the COVID. But even before the virus, places were often closing. Luckily, the architecture remains intact.”

Most of Kazuya's customers are residents and former residents of the neighborhood. People who love the neighborhood and ask him to paint places that hold meaning to them. “They are mostly people who live here and want to capture the moment. It could be their favorite restaurant or cafe. People feel very nostalgic seeing my artwork. Probably that’s the reason why they like my art — it induces nostalgia in them.” 

“People having fun or having trouble is something that interests me.” 

Kazuya makes sure to incorporate in his paintings the people he meets or admires. For instance, @blairz, @newyorkromantic and @jeffrothsteinphotographer, three people he greatly admires, appear standing in the street in his painting from Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. 

Kazuya began his career as an abstract painter. His early sketches were more abstract, until he realized the sentimental value that accuracy brings to his customers. “People used to be upset because I was often missing a window or a detail in their building. Sometimes I would even skip an entire building. My art is abstract but, now, I’m paying more attention to the details because I realized it matters and holds a sentimental value to them. They want to see the places exactly as they know them, as each place has its own specific meaning.” 

When we asked Kazuya why he chose to paint this neighborhood of New York City, he answered, “When I first started to paint this neighborhood, I was living in the Upper West Side. Now I live here in the West Village. I’m lucky to live here. I’ve always loved that tree in front of my studio and apartment. The West Village is calm so I can relax when I’m painting, and the architecture is well preserved as well. It reminds me of my trip to Europe. I noticed how they preserve their cities and found it beautiful. 

In New York, each neighborhood has its own energy. The energy above 14th street is completely different from that of the West Village. Once you cross 6th avenue, the vibe is totally different. It’s more dynamic and there are more people. I chose to paint this neighborhood because I like the West Village's calm energy. I had also used watercolor during my travels in Europe. I made a book of these sketches. I thought I should do watercolor sketches in the West Village too. This opportunity just came and, since then, I’ve been painting this neighborhood on a regular basis.”

“Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons for painting. The trees are changing colors.” 

We asked Kazuya about his future plans, to which he said, “I’m very happy as long as I am painting in the streets and traveling. Maybe I will start capturing the enticing charm of another neighborhood before it’s gone. New York City changes so rapidly.”

Kazuya has an exhibition coming in November, at the Revelation Gallery, in the West Village. It will last a month and showcase his paintings from the West Village, Chelsea, SoHo, and Paris. In the meantime, you can follow his work on his Instagram account @kazuyamorimoto.