Vol.1 “Where Art Comes Alive — Daisuke Ishizuka’s Five-Day Live Painting”

From 15 to 20 July, the lobby of Watermark Hotel & Spa Bali became a living canvas, as Japanese manga artist Daisuke Ishizuka brought his art to life through a five-day live painting experience.

Known for his appearances at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, Fine Art Asia in Hong Kong, and solo exhibitions in Beijing, Ishizuka is an artist whose work continues to attract attention both in Japan and across the international art scene.

During his stay in Bali, we created a special opportunity for guests to experience his creative process up close — not behind the walls of a traditional gallery, but in the open and welcoming atmosphere of our hotel lobby, where art could unfold naturally in front of them.

Every day from 12:00 to 15:00, gentle music filled the lobby as Ishizuka’s brush moved across the canvas.

Guests arriving for check-in. Families passing through the lobby after a meal. Some paused for just a moment, while others stayed to quietly watch. Some approached the artist and began a conversation.

That was the magic of live painting. The artwork was never quite the same from one day to the next. Shapes emerged, colors deepened, and the story on the canvas gradually revealed itself.

Some guests even returned the following day, curious to see how far the painting had progressed. “How much has changed since yesterday?” they would ask — a simple question that captured the unique connection created between the artist, the artwork, and the people watching it come to life.

Throughout the five days, the experience offered our team a few discoveries of our own.

Sometimes, all it takes to spark an interest in art is a single unexpected encounter. A guest walking through the lobby might stop for a moment, become curious, and discover something they had not planned to experience. And when that moment is thoughtfully shared, it can naturally lead to another experience — from visiting the exhibition to joining a painting class.

For a few hours each day, an ordinary hotel lobby became something more. Through art, a familiar space was transformed into a place of curiosity, conversation, and discovery.

Perhaps that is what NEW DAWN was truly about: adding one more layer of inspiration to the time our guests spend at Watermark Hotel & Spa Bali.

The artwork created during the five-day live painting experience would later take on a new life as part of an exhibition at W Senses Grill Dining & Bar Restaurant within the hotel.

Art born in the lobby now welcomed guests from a new space, continuing its journey beyond the moment of creation.

And so, the first chapter of NEW DAWN quietly came to an end — not as a conclusion, but as the beginning of something new.