"I do not believe in imitation," says Kazi Ghiyasuddin. "When I see something, my senses react. I want to portray that reaction through colors."

The 53-year-old artist is sitting in his kitchen in Tokyo's Ota Ward, the room a riot of color. Paintings cover every available surface, lying flat on the dining table, propped up on the dresser and leaned against the cooker.

"My supervisor at the Geidai [Tokyo University of Fine Arts], Gyoji Nomiyama, told me 'Your watercolor work is extraordinary. You must continue in this vein,' " recalls Ghiyasuddin.