Takehiko SUGAWARA ―RUTEN―

Galerie Tamenaga Osaka is pleased to present “Takehiko Sugawara — RUTEN —,” a memorial exhibition honoring the late artist Takehiko Sugawara, who passed away suddenly last year at the age of 62.

Sugawara approached the natural world with profound reverence, venturing deep into nature in search of its essence. During his explorations, he often encountered mysteries that seemed to transcend human understanding. Ancient trees such as Jindai-zakura and Usuzumi-zakura, the dragon-shaped pine known as Garyū-no-Matsu, the luminous waters of Aoike, and the towering Nanahiro-sugi—these encounters with the overwhelming vitality of nature left a powerful impression on him. Capturing that very moment of awe on the canvas became the consistent foundation of his artistic practice.

Viewers are drawn to Sugawara’s works perhaps because they evoke the immense life force of nature—flowing through centuries and millennia—and the fleeting beauty within it. Through these paintings, the primordial landscapes of Japan resonate deeply with the viewer’s spirit. In this sense, the artist continues to live on through his works.

This exhibition brings together approximately 30 paintings created between 2011, when Sugawara began working with Galerie Tamenaga, and 2025. We sincerely hope you will take this opportunity to experience “Takehiko Sugawara —RUTEN: The Transience of Nature —.”

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Takehiko Sugawara was born in Tokyo in 1962 and studied Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) at Tama Art University. From an early stage in his career, he received numerous prestigious awards, and his exceptional talent was highly recognized while he was still young.

In 1996, Sugawara moved to Yamanashi, where he encountered the ancient Jindai-zakura, a cherry tree over a thousand years old. Deeply struck by the powerful dynamism of life emanating from this venerable tree, he found a central inspiration for his work. From that moment on, he continued to depict the transcendent forms created by nature, combining the traditional techniques of Nihonga with his own distinctive and original style.

In 2012, his solo exhibition at Galerie Tamenaga in Paris achieved great success, captivating collectors from around the world and establishing him as an important figure expected to play a leading role in the next generation of the art world. In the autumn of last year, a monograph of his work was published by the renowned Italian art publisher SKIRA and is now distributed worldwide.