Watanabe Seitei (渡辺省亭, 1851 - 1918), also known as Watanabe Shōtei, was a Japanese Nihonga painter who was one of the first Japanese painters to visit Europe, attending the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris and being awarded a medal. He blended Western realism with the delicate colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yōsai school, introducing a new approach to kachōga (bird-and-flower painting).

In late 2023 we challenged poets to create poetry based upon the artwork of Watanabe Seitei, and the poems produced were simply stunning.

Poems for Watanabe Seitei is a beautifully produced anthology that is both beautiful and full of beauty, featuring a selection of poetry from 21 poets, alongside some of the work that inspired it.

Poetry is included from:

Margaret Royall
Rhiannon Lewis
Sharron Green
Nigel Kent
Sarah O'Grady
Patricia M Osborne
Brian McManus
Carol Lee Saffioti-Hughes
John Herington
Isabel Miles
Oz Hardwick
Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon
Christine Tokunaga
Saskia Ashby
Hazel Starritt
Greta Ross
Jackie Truman
Moira Garland
Cassia Stevens
Felice Hardy
Mick Yates

Poems for Watanabe Seitei - pokkari, Englanti, 2024