CHIURA OBATA
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"Chiura Obata"                            Photographed by g. Paul Bishop, '51
 No. 2                                                       ©2019 G. Paul Bishop, Jr.

- IMAGE NO LONGER AVAILABLE -
 

Chiura Obata
1885 - 1975

Painter
Professor of Art
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - Berkeley
 

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Noted Japanese Has Long Career in Art,
Education Fields

THE BERKELEY DAILY GAZETTE
1953
 

Prof. Chiura Obata's pupils number in the thousands for he has been teaching since 1903 and has never ceased even during the time of his internment in a War Relocation Center during [World Wat II]. For days after his internment he started an art class. Pupils from six to 70 years {of age} attended and at one time they numbered 650. During those war years, he continued his large output of paintings.

When Obata first came to this country after extensive art training in Japan, he became known as a designer and decorator and decorated the Oriental rooms for Gumps that became world famous, the Emporium, City of Paris and the Jewel Room for the G. T. Mars Co. and on in Hotel Ambassador. The artist made five large murals for the Toyo Kisen Kaisha Steamship Co. and for the Iwata Dry Goods Co.

From 1915-1917 Obata was illustrator and cover page designer for the magazine "Japan," published for the Toyo Kisen Kaisha Steamship Co., during which time he turned out about 3,000 illustrations and numerous cover designs.

His paintings have also appeared on covers of the California Monthly, alumni magazine.

Throughout the years Obata has continued to paint furiously. His work has been in many exhibits, and held numerous one-man shows and won many prizes and honors. Before coming to the United States he was one of Japan's leading young artists.

The family home has been here at 2430 Oregon St. for many years. Mrs. Obata has won fame in her right as an expert in the art of Japanese flower arrangement and as a teacher of that art. They have one daughter, Mrs. Lillian Kodani of [Berkeley]; two sons, Kinio George and Gyo Frederick Obata, both of St. Louis, MO. The latter has a daughter, Prof. Obata's only grandchild.
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_____. "Noted Japanese Has Long Career in Art, Education Fields."
     Berkeley Daily Gazette. (21 May 1953), p. 10.


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