Fantastical Creatures: Acrylic Paintings by Naoto Hattori

New York-based Japanese artist Naoto Hattori creates captivating miniature paintings featuring bizarre and whimsical creatures in surreal landscapes.

These small-scale masterpieces, created on panels that are usually smaller than 6 inches, display an incredible level of detail and depth. The artist employs the use of prominent eyes throughout his artwork, serving as captivating focal points that beckon viewers into the pieces. According to Naoto, this is what his creations represent:

“My vision is like a dream, whether it’s a sweet dream, a nightmare, or just a weird dream.”

“I try to see what’s really going on in my mind, and that’s a practice to increase my awareness in stream-of-consciousness creativity. I try not to label or think about what is supposed to be, just take it in as it is and paint whatever I see in my mind with no compromise. That way, I create my own vision.”

To discover more of his work, follow Naoto Hattori on Instagram.

More art on the grid via Instagram