Treasured Landscapes

Chiura Obata
ca. 1930

Chiura Obata immigrated to the United States from Sendai, Japan in 1903. He worked in California as an illustrator, where he founded the East West Art Society to encourage dialogue and cultural understanding through art. Obata first visited Yosemite in 1927, producing many paintings and prints there which he would later exhibit in Japan. His artwork blends American landscape conventions with Japanese traditions. Obata was later subjected to internment at the Japanese American Relocation camp in Topaz, Utah during World War II, where he established an art school for fellow internees.

Woodblock print on paper. H 53.2, W 41.6 cm
Yosemite National Park, YOSE 109528