The theme of landscape was very present in the artists' minds while they were incarcerated in the detention camps. This woodblock print is a different interpretation of the classic landscape. Obata was probably experimenting and showing his class different mediums of art by making this painting. It displays some of the more traditional Japanese techniques that were used.
A color wood-block print of camp buildings at the foot of a mountain with reflected water and birds in the foreground. There are five colors in this print; dark blue in the sky at the top of the image and in the shadows of the barrack roofs, gray in the mountain and buildings, yellow in the reflected sunlight across the center of the image, and two tones of green at the bottom. The back of the image has a note that states “Koho says, maybe HONDA-san??” Koho Yamamoto was a student of Chiura Obata during WWII while both were incarcerated in a Japanese American prison camp, the artist of this work was also likely another student.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
A black and white pencil sketch of an alley of single-story buildings in a Japanese American prison camp during World War II. Handwritten note in the lower right hand corner identifies this as “Tanforan Art School, July ’42.” The image is detailed and accurate, with confident mark making. It was likely done by Chiura Obata (1885-1975), a founder of the Tanforan Art School, or one of his students.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
This work of art shows that not every painting that was made in the camps was focused on the somber imprisonment. The Japanese American captives still managed to find beauty, and express that in creative ways like art. This painting was done by Obata or one of his students at the camps, and shows a beautiful twisted tree trunk. This painting showcases the Japanese sumi-e style that Obata was famous for.
Description
A black and white sumi-e painting of a tree, likely done by a Chiura Obata (1885-1975) or one of his students at a Japanese American prison camp during World War II. The painting is composed with traditional sumi-e brushwork technique and depicts a tree with a twisted trunk and foliage at an angle on the side of a mountain.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
Chiura Obata was truly a master artist, and his skill is on full display in this beautiful Sumi-E style painting of a flower. Obata loved nature, and it was one of the biggest subjects in his paintings. This simple yet elegant art work shows his command of color and control over the brush. Obata's art was a great tool for education and expression.
Description
A color sumi-e painting of morning glories. The image depicts two fully-bloomed flowers, one partially-bloomed flower, and four buds. The morning glory flowers are painted with blue petals and the three-lobed leaves are green. A reddish brown color is used to accent the leaves and stems. The morning glory is a popular ornamental flower that is known to bloom in the morning and close in the afternoon, and has been used frequently in Japanese art to denote the summer. Chiura Obata (1885-1975) created this while in a Japanese American prison camp during World War II and his signature and red gagō-in (artist seal) stamp appear in the lower right corner.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
A color sumi-e landscape painting of a Japanese American prison camp by Koho Yamamoto during World War II. The dominant colors of the painting are pink and blue. The image depicts three figures walking in the space between barracks, a green army truck, a tree in the foreground on the right hand side, against a mountain backdrop. Koho’s signature and red gagō-in (artist seal) stamp are in the bottom left hand corner.
Born in California as Masako Yamamoto in 1922, Koho and her family were incarcerated at the Japanese American incarceration camp in Topaz, Utah during World War II. Koho became the star pupil of Chiura Obata (1885-1975), a master sumi-e artist and calligrapher who was also a Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of California, Berkeley. Koho received her name, meaning “Red Harbor,” from Chiura whose name translates to “Thousand Harbors,” as a symbol of spiritual succession to teach the art of Japanese brush painting. After the war, Koho moved to New York City and made a successful career exhibiting and lecturing as an artist. She founded and was the sole instructor of the Koho School of Sumi-e until it closed in 2010.
Japanese American prisoners tried to make life as normal as possible during their confinement. Many camps even had newspapers, and Obata used his artistic abilities to create art for the newspaper at the Topaz camp, the Topaz Times. This ad depicts a blue, almost abstract landscape. Obata tried to make life as productive as possible during his imprisonment, he was very active in the community of the camp, spearheading the art school as well as drawing for the Topaz Times.
Description
An illustration by Chiura Obata (1885-1975) from The Topaz Times. The Topaz Times was the camp newsletter for the Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp in Utah, publishing from 1942 to 1945. The painting is a blue mountain stream surrounded by trees in Chiura Obata’s distinct quasi-abstract brushwork style. Lettering on the top of the page reads “Page 2, Topaz Times, Jan. 1, 1943” and his signature appears in both English and Japanese in the bottom left hand corner. Articles from the Topaz Times are on the back of the image.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
Koho Yamamoto was the apprentice of the master artist Chiura Obata during their time at the Topaz detention center. Koho was able to hone the skills the eventually made her the standard for Sumi-E painting in New York City. During her incarceration with Obata she adopted his style and philosophy when it came to art. Both painted beautiful landscapes of the lonely, serene camp in Topaz.
This landscape by Koho depicts the Topaz imprisonment site at night. The small crescent moon sheds its weak light onto the barren camp. Koho captures the loneliness felt by many while imprisoned in these camps across western America. Another artist that felt and expressed his loneliness during his imprisonment through art is Jimmy Mirikitani. Jimmy and Koho actually met after the war around 1952, and Jimmy gave Koho a couple sketches of the Tule Lake detention center where he was held captive.
After moving to New York City and meeting Jimmy, Koho opened up her own art school in Soho. She taught Sumi-E painting and the Zen philosophy that went along with it. She gained fame by founding the only Sumi-E school in all of New York, as well as through her masterful paintings.
A color sumi-e painting of barracks in a Japanese American prison camp at night time by Koho Yamamoto. Different shades of blue dominate the painting and white ink has been used to make a small crescent moon in the sky. Koho, a student of Chiura Obata at the Topaz incarceration camp, has signed the work in the bottom right hand corner.
Born in California as Masako Yamamoto in 1922, Koho and her family were incarcerated at the Japanese American incarceration camp in Topaz, Utah during World War II. Koho became the star pupil of Chiura Obata (1885-1975), a master sumi-e artist and calligrapher who was also a Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of California, Berkeley. Koho received her name, meaning “Red Harbor,” from Chiura whose name translates to “Thousand Harbors,” as a symbol of spiritual succession to teach the art of Japanese brush painting. After the war, Koho moved to New York City and made a successful career exhibiting and lecturing as an artist. She founded and was the sole instructor of the Koho School of Sumi-e until it closed in 2010.
A rough outline sketch of Japanese Americans being forcibly relocated during World War II. The image features people without faces and large piles of suitcases and luggage with buildings in the background. There is writing on the back of the image in Japanese. This painting was likely done by a student of Chiura Obata.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
A black and white sumi-e painting of a horse in motion. The image depicts a horse leaping through the air, tossing its head to the right to look behind. The horse’s mane and tail are raised in motion, and its right foreleg reaches out to point towards the bottom left corner of the page. Chiura Obata (1885-1975) created this while in a Japanese American prison camp during World War II and his signature and red gagō-in (artist seal) stamp appear in the lower right corner. Small Japanese characters written in pen run vertically in the bottom left hand corner.
Born Zoroku Obata in Okayama-ken, Japan in 1885, Obata moved to California in 1903 and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to live and work in the United States. Obata was the first artist of Japanese descent to be a faculty member at UC Berkeley, where he started teaching in 1932. In 1942 he and his family were removed from Berkeley and imprisoned at the Tanforan temporary detention center and Topaz Japanese American incarceration camp under Executive Order 9066. At Tanforan, Obata started an art school with George Matsusaburo Hibi which he continued upon transfer to Topaz, teaching hundreds of students and creating a large body of artwork depicting everyday life in the camps and surrounding landscapes. Obata became a naturalized citizen in 1954, a year after retiring as Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley. He spent the rest of his life traveling widely, lecturing and demonstrating Japanese brush painting. Obata is most well-known for his signature style of painting which blends Japanese and Western techniques and his large-scale landscapes. He also created an award-winning series of color woodblock prints at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan inspired by his 1927 trip to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Chiura Obata died on October 6, 1975 at age 89.
Art was a valuable resource that incarcerated Japanese Americans used to not only express themselves within the confines of camp, but also to document the environment and wrongdoings they experienced. No one did this better than the master artist Chiura Obata. He painted hauntingly beautiful landscapes as well as chronicled oppression, such as this work, "Hatsuki Wakasa Shot by M.P." Obata was standing witness when a man attempting to pet a dog by the perimeter fence was shot down by guards. The guards were yelling at him but because of either the language barrier or the distance, Wakasa did not hear and was killed on the spot.
Obata knew that painting was a critical tool for expression and documentation. When he was imprisoned due to EO9066, he used his experience as a professor at UC Berkeley to open an art school at the Tanforan Detention Center where he was sent. Tanforan Art School taught hundreds of people of all ages how to draw and paint. Obata was later moved to the Topaz incarceration camp in Utah, and he carried over his art school and rebranded it into the Topaz Art School. Here Obata met Masako (Koho) Yamamoto, his star pupil at the camp. She studied under him for the duration of Obata's stay, and after the war Koho became a professionally famed artist herself.
Obata used his art talent as a tool for documenting ongoings wherever he traveled. In 1942 when he was incarcerated at the Topaz detention camp he was shocked by the living conditions that he and all the other Japanese Americans had to endure.
This painting by Obata showcases the bare amenities the prisoners were allowed, and how a dust storm could completely ravage their living spaces because they were provided with no defense. Obata's paintings are some of the most powerful images that came out of the Japanese American concentration camps. Japanese American captives were not allowed to have cameras. Artists like Obata and Koho witnessed and recorded the segregation and injustices done to the Japanese people.