<b>SNOW CROW</b> / Ryohei Tanaka2008<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Tanaka is known for his spellbinding, intricate landscapes that usher the viewer into a world of nature and magic. The minute detail the artist can achieve within his designs is astonishing. He conjures an entire cosmos within the confines of a sheet of paper. In this striking night scene, the artist provides us with the perspective of a poet who looks up longingly for the light of stars. In this Tanaka’s composition, stars are replaced by countless flakes of snow filling every conceivable space in the night sky. A lone crow sits on a bough not far from a red persimmon—the only vestige from a season that seems so long ago. Perhaps this design, among Tanaka’s diverse body of work, best exhibits the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. It is in the austere environment of a snowy winter night that the sole color of a lingering persimmon erupts with the potency of one thousand summer flowers.

Connoisseur's Note

Tanaka's most sought after work features crows, persimmons, and snow scenes. This design happens to include all his most popular motifs in one striking masterful composition and, as such, is widely acknowledged as Tanaka’s supreme masterpiece. This commanding design, which is oversized, quickly sold out despite its relatively higher price tag than other Tanaka works of similar size. Since its inception, it has been the design that has divided Tanaka collectors into two groups, the lucky 100 who happen to own this design and the others who are longingly in search of it.

Tanaka passed away in October of 2019. He was a prolific artist, and his striking designs have continued to grow in popularity. Based on their beauty and labor-intensive quality, there is little doubt their desirability will continue to grow.