My father Tachibana Tenkei is a Japanese-style painter who was active during most of the 20th century. From his birth in 1906 till his death in 1984 at 77 years of age, his life was one extraordinary odyssey. Many of his major works such as the screen paintings have spread out to various countries. 

From the dynamic screen paintings, which exhibit undaunted courage and buxom beauty, to the cute little sparrows painted with pale Japanese ink, Tenkei’s artwork, while respecting Japanese tradition, exhibits audacious originality. The style of his paintings is filled with liveliness: spirit, soul, and emotion emanates inexplicably from his artwork. Tenkei had a strong desire to have people from all over the world see his works. Many of the large screen paintings, which he painted directly without any preliminary sketch underneath, are kept at various overseas museums such as The British Museum (U.K.) and Freer Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.)

Since Tenkei’s death, the internet has connected people from all over the globe, making our world a much smaller place. It would have been a pleasant shock for Tenkei who was always eager to incorporate innovative ideas and techniques. I would be very pleased if, through this website, many people could feel the love expressed in Tenkei’s artwork.

GALLERY AYA CORPORATED

AYA YASUMURA