Obata: Watercolor of Still Life with Eggplant

Artist: Chiura Obata   (1885-1975)
Title: Watercolor of Eggplant, Fruits and Vegetables  Date: Undated (ca. 1930s-40s)

Watercolor on paper of an assortment of fruits and vegetables. Most prominent is a large purple eggplant. Behind it are a cluster of purple grapes and in front is a green pepper and a single carrot. Two strawberries are at right.

Obata’s mastery of the brush was so complete that he could paint in many different styles, all of them unique to his experience and training, which began in Japan at the age of seven. For the first seven years, Obata studied with the Sendai painter Chikusen Moniwa (1833-1922), and trained exclusively in the art of sumi painting, learning to create tonal “colors” using only monochromatic black ink. He also studied nihonga (Japanese-style painting) at the Japan Fine Arts Academy and then with the Tosa school painter Tanryo Murata (1872-1940) and Hago Hashimoto (1835-1908). After arriving in San Francisco in 1903, he worked as an illustrator and commercial painter for department stores. In 1921, he founded the East West Society with his friend George Matsusaburo Hibi (1886-1947).

Obata believed that “the aim of the Japanese painting should be brought out and felt directly from one’s soul. Just to imitate or depict an object or some part of nature is not enough, because such an imitative idea without the creative soul cannot bring forth any beauty or humanity”.

Obata taught at Berkeley between 1932 and 1954, and he created many demonstration paintings over the years, both for students in his popular classes as well as in public demonstrations. As Timothy Burgard wrote ...“Obata dazzled audiences with his bravura brushwork, and his ability to create a finished composition from a random mark made on a piece of paper by an audience member.” (Exhibition brochure from the 2000 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco exhibition titled “Great Nature: The Transcendent Landscapes of Chiura Obata”). This would seem to be a demonstration painting for one of his classes at Berkeley, and we can feel the vital intentionality of every stroke.

Berkeley preserved many of his paintings while Obata and his family were interned in Utah during WWII.  Provenance: Estate of Chiura Obata. Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from the Estate.

Condition:  Very good condition overall. Some yellowing and smudging to paper. The work was backed by the artist, and the backing paper has some toning to it.

Dimensions: 39.5 x 53 cm
Provenance:  Provenance: Estate of Chiura Obata. Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from the Estate of the artist.
Signature: Chiura Obata  Seal: Artist's square seal in red

SKU: OBA167