Famed Japanese Painter Atsushi Uemura Dies at 91; Master of ‘Bird-and-Flower’ Genre Received Order of Culture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:57 JST, November 3, 2024

Japanese-style painter Atsushi Uemura, celebrated for his elegant bird-and-flower paintings, died Friday of natural causes. He was 91.

Born in Kyoto City, Uemura was raised in a family of distinguished Japanese-style painters. His grandmother Shoen Uemura was a master of bijin-ga portraits of beautiful women and the first woman to receive the Order of Culture. His father, Shoko Uemura, was a leading figure in kacho-ga paintings of birds and flowers.

Uemura studied Japanese painting at Kyoto City University of Arts.

An avid bird lover, he kept and observed various birds, which deeply influenced his work and allowed him to create vibrant kacho-ga filled with life. In 1995, he received the Japan Art Academy Prize for his work “Wild Geese.”

In 2022, Uemura was awarded the Order of Culture, following in his grandmother and father’s footsteps. His notable works include “Early Morning” and “Four Seasons of Waterside.”