21 Under 31 | Nobuhito Tanaka

By Bonnie Gangelhoff

ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Master of fine arts from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA.
STYLE: Realism.
MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE WAY YOU WORK: I take photo references because I am a very tight painter, and I don’t paint on location. Depending on the detail involved, a painting can take anywhere from two weeks to two months. My method is not that interesting, but I make up for that by focusing on the composition. I have a traditional style with contemporary compositions.
SECOND-CHOICE CAREER: Animator.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: Do your best at whatever you choose.
CREATIVE SPARK: Shooting photos in San Francisco and wherever I travel. At the moment I’m working on Asian street scenes.
PRICE RANGE: $1,000 to $13,000.
GALLERIES: Christopher Hill Gallery, St. Helena, CA; Scottsdale Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ; Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA; www.ntanaka.com.

Featured in our annual “21 Under 31” feature in September 2009