Takehiko Sugawara (1962–2025)

Born in Tokyo in 1962, Takehiko Sugawara studied Nihonga at Tama Art University and later served as professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, expanding the horizons of Japanese painting through both creation and education.

His works breathe with the vitality of nature itself. A transformative encounter with the thousand-year-old Jindai-zakura inspired a lifelong pursuit, leading to paintings such as The Usuzumi-zakura, The Reclining Dragon Pine, and Kirifuri Falls—each capturing the timeless spirit of the natural world.

At the core of his practice lay a distinctive method that bridged tradition and innovation. He prepared his own soot ink mixed with animal glue, applying it boldly and embracing the natural shrinkage and cracking that emerged in the drying process to evoke the texture of ancient bark and the passage of time. Mineral pigments were scattered to suggest the density and vigor of branches rather than individual leaves. Platinum and gold leaf, along with washi, were layered to weave light and shadow, granting his surfaces a profound depth.

He was honored with numerous awards, including the Gotoh Memorial Cultural Award for Emerging Artists in 1994 and the Grand Prize at the Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Nikkei Nihonga Awards in 2004. In 2012, he held a solo exhibition in Paris, and his works continued to be shown at Art Paris, BRAFA, and Art Fair Tokyo.

Sugawara passed away in 2025. Yet his paintings remain alive, carrying forward the breath of nature and leaving a lasting resonance within the world of Nihonga.