Ken Burns TV - Dencho Encyclopedia online - Goodreads online -
Chiura Obata had arrived in the United States in 1903 at age 17, a promising young painter ... For three months he and two other artist friends tramped the high country taking in all the park had to offer. Ken Burns, The National Parks: Not for the Rich Alone 1936–1945, PBS 2009
Obata’s painting consisted largely of landscapes, many painted on silk, that combined classic Japanese brush painting with aspects of contemporary Western art. He likewise produced numerous water-colors and ink sketches. Much of his early published work consisted of illustrations for Japanese community newspapers, and it was not until after 1920 that his paintings were exposed to outside circles. Although he publicly stated that he refused to sell his artworks, he agreed to exhibit them. Obata gained his first important exposure in 1922 when he participated in a group show at the San Francisco Museum of Art of the East West Art Society, which he had helped found. Two years later, the San Francisco opera hired him to create sets for the San Francisco Opera’s production of Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. He received commissions for public murals from Gumps Department store and the City of Paris. Dencho Encyclopedia online
Chiura Obata, a gifted Japanese-born artist from California, made his first trip to Yosemite in 1927. The trip left a lasting impression in a remarkable collection of sketches, postcards, and letters. Goodreads online