About

As illustrated, Tanaka knew the ultimate test of the quality of his art depended on his unique way of seeing the world. Tanaka was, first and foremost, a nihon-ga (Japanese-style painting) artist. He deeply understood the techniques, concepts, and nihon-ga traditions. He worked throughout his career to define its borders while redefining its limits. As evident on the canvasses, Tanaka had specific, innovative ways of utilising pigments and incorporating silica, sand, glass powder, adhesives, pebbles, and even metal in his work. He crushed minerals to create pigments and use them like paint, …