Chiura Obata (1885-1975): Celebrated Japanese-American Painter, UC Berkeley Professor, & Master of Sumi-e Chiura Obata’s life was a remarkable tapestry woven from threads of tradition and innovation—a testament to the transformative potential of cultural exchange and an unwavering devotion to artistic expression. Born Zoroku Sato in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, on November 18, 1885, his formative years were steeped in the rituals and aesthetics of Sumi-e painting, a practice that instilled within him not merely technical skill but also a profound reverence for nature and a philosophical outloo…