Tenkei Tachibana

Japanese "Byoubu-E" Master

Owned by Museum abroad

Some of his works are owned by internationally famous museums such as The British Museum, The Smithsonian Museum, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Database of Museum

>>The British Museum

>>The Smithsonian's National Museum

>>The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

Career & Works

Name : Yoshifumi　Nakayama
Preudonym : Tenkei Tachibana ( 1950 - 1984 )
Earlier name :
Koho Sonobe ( 1922 - 1949 )　
Koka Tachibana ( 1949 - 1950 )

1906	Born in Kyoto
1922	Entered Ueno Fine Arts School
1926	Studied Buddhistic fine arts : painted "Buddha's Image"(180X303) at Kannenji Temple in Yamaguchi.
1927	Painted "Mural painting" at Zendouji Temple in Fukuoka. Donated 50 paintaings for the purpose of road repairs in Takachiho, Miyazaki.
1928	Painted "Descendant of The Gods" requested by Miyazaki Prefecture.
1929	Exhibited "Pond Area" at the Dokugaten on invitation by Araki Juppo's recommendation.
1930	The exhibition "Japanese Paintings by Sonobe Koho in Commenmoration of His Trip to Italy", sponsored by Fukuoka Newspaper Press, in Fukuoka. Exhibited to "Esposizione D'Arts Giapponese" in Rome, sponsored by Italian Government.
1933	Studied in Thailand, India and Europe. The exhibition at the Thai National Art Gallery."The Dawn of Menam", acquired by Thai National Art Gallery.
1934	The exhibition in Singapore.
1935	Exhibition paintings in Bun-Ten (a top national exhibition) by invitation during overseas sojourn.
1936	Visited Canton and various place in China. The exhibition at Gloster Hotel in Hong Kong. The exhibition at Tokyo after returning home.
1938	Presented the "Defeating the Devil"( 273X303 ) to the Italian Premier Mussolini through Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The painting is now in the collection of an Italian National Museum. Exhibited "Joy"( 273X546 ) at No.12-Shinkozoten. acquired by The Headquarters of The Manchuria Kyowakai Society. Established the Nitto Fine Arts Institute. Its reception was attended by personages from the Ministry of Education and Arts circles as well as Ambassadors of Germany, Italy and Manchuria.
1939	Awarded an Order of Cultural Merits by Italian Government.
1940	Established the Manchurian Fine Arts Institute upon the request of the Manchurian Government ; recommended Kawabata Ryushi as its committee Chairman. Donated 20 paintings of Mount Fuji to Japanese emigrant village in Manchurian. Exhibited "Quickening Asia"( 273X485 ) at No.13 - Shinkozoten.
1941	The First Public Art Exhibition of Nitto Fine Arts Institute at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Gallery. "The Exhibishment of Righteousness and the Security of the Country"( 273X1515), acquired by Department of Army.
1942	The Second Exhibition of Nitto Fine Arts Institute. "Early Spring"( 272X480 ), acquired by the Ministry of Agriculture. "Portrait of Imperial Prince Takaoka"( 303X545 ), acquired by Department of Army.
1943	Succeeded reform of the Tokyo Art School together with Taikan Yokoyama and Education Minister Okabe. Exhibited "Fighting Spirit"( 242X303 )
1945	Met with Gen. MacArthur to recommend the preservation of the emperor system.
1946	Appointed Art Consultant to the U.S.Navy through the recommendation of Yokoyama Taikan and Lieutenant General White.
1948	Petitioned Gen. MacArthur against the death penalty for 12 of the A-class war criminals. Resigned as Art Consultant to the U.S. Navy that trained young people at private school Shoei-Jyuku after returning to Shiraito of Shizuoka.
1949	Advice by Prof. Nishida Masaaki of Tokyo Art School "Be inspired by a person's spirit" thereafter assuming the Pseudonym, Tachibana Koka.
1950	Tenkei says that May 30, "While sitting with moving white clouds and ever changing scenery. While observing , I felt shivers as if doused by cold water over my whole body, was shocked at the awesome reverence of nature's grandeur, was lost in wonder, hearing shouts,………." "Tenkei Tenkei' ( revere heaven, revere heaven ) coming as if from a heavenly voice…", immediately I renamed myself Tachibana Tenkei. Began to work on a series of screen paintings.
1952	The exhibition of "Tenkei Tachibana Shinsaku Kai" at Tokyo Kaikan. Painted "Mount Fuji and Sea of Clouds"( 218cmX1100cm)
1954	Painted "Mount Fuji", acquired by Ministry of Finance.
1955	Painted "Vairocana Buddha"( 218cmX550cm )
1956	Painted "Early Summer of Mount Fuji"( 218cmX550cm )
1957	The exhibition of “Tenkei Tachibana Ten“ at the Industrial Club of Marunouchi, Tokyo.
1960	The exhibition at the Mexican National Art Gallery in Mexico City by request of the Mexican Government, which subsequently traveled to major cities in Mexico. Painted “Literary and Military Arts” (218cmX 1100cm) Painted ”Mount Fuji and the sea of clouds”(218cmX1100cm) Painted “Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom”(218cmX1100cm)
1962	Tenkei’s screen painting “Mount Fuji and Sea of Clouds”(painted 1952) was Presented to Mr. Robert F. Kennedy at Shiba Shirokane Guest House after exhibiting the painting to over three hundred dignitaries whose signatures were presented to Mr. Kennedy with the painting ; this was planned executed by Mr. Hosono Gunji, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Foreign Affairs Study Association. After demise of Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, the screen painting was acquired by The Smithsonian's National Museum, Freer Gallery of Art. Washington DC. Painted “Early Spring”(218cmX550cm)
1963	Painted “Innocent Light”(218cmX1100cm), acquired by Ikegami Honmonji Temple. Painted “The Bodhisattva Kannon”(218cmX550cm) Painted “Flying-Fish”(218cmX1100cm)
1964	Appointed Member of International Policies Committee in U.S. Painted “Spring at the Sun-warmed Palace”(178cmX512cm)
1965	The exhibition “The Art of Tenkei Tachibana” at Meiji Shrine, Tokyo. Donated Tenkei’s screen painting “The Spirit of Eight Islands-Japan”(218cmX1100cm) to Meiji Shrine. Presented the screen painting “Self-composed and Infinite”(208cmX380cm) to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek on behalf of the Japanese people in gratitude for his considerations at the end of the world war Ⅱ.
1966	Lectured on “Japanese Art” at West Texas State University. Received Honorary Professorship from West Texas State University. Elected Member of Texas State Academy and Troy University in Alabama state. Received Honorary Citizen by Texas State, Amarillo City and Canyon City. Decorated with Grand Orders by Byzantine Knight Corps, St. John Knight Corps and Mexican Government. The exhibitions Canyon Art Gallery of Texas, National First bank of Washington DC and The Oriental Fine Art Gallery of New York.
1970	The exhibition “Screen Painting by "Tenkei Tachibana” at the Tokyo Art Club, in Tokyo. Painted “Blooming Iris”(222cmX714cm) ,four sides of the sliding door, “Living Clean at One Own’s Pace between Heaven and Earth” (222cmX1414cm) “Calm and Passion--Wind God, Thunder God”(218cmX1100cm) “In Nature”(50cmX180cm)
1971	The exhibition “The Art of Screen Painting by Tenkei Tachibana” at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Canyon City, Texas. 1.”Mout Fuji and Clouds”(218cmX1100cm) painted in 1952. 2.”Lording it over The World”(218cmX550cm) painted in 1954. 3.”Steep Blue Hills”(218cmX550cm) painted in 1954. 4.”Red Plum Blossoms and Cat”(218cmX550cm) painted in 1955. 5.”Clear Stream”(218cmX1100cm) painted in 1956. 6.”Living Clean at one own’s Pace between Heaven and Earth” in 1970. The above 6 screen paintings were acquired by Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Canyon City, Texas.
1972	“Calm and Passion--Wind God, Thunder God”(218cmX1100cm) painted in 1970, acquired by The Smithsonian's National Museum, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC. At the Nippon Fortnight exhibited 9 screen paintings at the Neiman-Marcus, a leading department store in Dallas, Texas.
1975	The exhibition “Tenkei Tachibana no Geijutsu” at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo. Painted “Peace & Concord”(248cmX1464cm) ”Song of the Harp in Springtime”(Plum trees and Show)(218cmX1464cm)
1976	In April, The exhibition at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Exhibited “The Sprit of Eight Islands-Japan”(1965) ,“The Seas of the world…”(1968) and, painted “Symbol of Eternal Peace”(218cmX1100cm) In May, The exhibition of “L’ART DE TENKEI TACHIBANA” supported by the Japanese Embassy in France at the Galerie Drouant in Paris, France. Awarded an Order of “Medal of Cultural Merit (Gold Metal)” by the City of Paris.
1978	The exhibition at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo in October. Exhibited “Cherry-blossoms in Memory of Dr. H.P. Stern”(270cmX1600cm) In November. The exhibition at The Iwataya Department Store in Fukuoka exhibited “The Buddhist Deity Fudo Myo-o”(180cmX550cm) In November, ordained in the Buddhist priesthood by Nishiguchi Kugyo, Shingon archbishop at headquarters, Daihonzan Kokubunji temple.
1979	The exhibition at The Hankyu Department Store in Osaka in January.
1980	The exhibition at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon City, Texas in June, Exhibited screen painting “Cherry-blossoms in Memory of Dr. H.P. Stern”, acquired by Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The exhibition at Matsuzakaya Department Store in Shizuoka in July.
1981	In May, attacked by a disease, began life of recuperation. In September, The exhibition at Ginza Gallery Center.
1982	In May, Screen painting “Song of the Harp in Springtime”(Plum trees and Snow)(248cmX1464cm) painted in 1975, acquired by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City, Missouri. In June 1st, Demise.
1993	THE TENKEI TACHIBANA EXHIBTION “Tenkei’s Art-Between Heaven and Earth” at The Japanese Galleries of The British Museum from October 7th to November 7th 1993. A pair of six-fold screen painting “Waraku - Peace & Concord”(248cmX1464cm) painted 1975, acquired by The British Museum in London.