Kōsuke Tasaki (1898–1984) was a Western-style painter born in Fukuoka Prefecture who depicted Japanese mountain landscapes with great vigour. He repeatedly took Mount Aso, Mount Asama and Mount Fuji as his subjects, boldly simplifying their forms whilst drawing on actual scenery. Using thick layers of paint and vivid colours, he conveyed the mountains’ inherent sense of weight and vitality on the canvas.

Tasaki’s mountains are perceived not so much as landscapes viewed from afar, but as imposing, towering presences standing right before the viewer. The overlapping of strong colours—such as red, blue and green—conveys a sense of wonder and awe at nature in a very direct manner. His work is captivating in that, whilst powerful, it never loses its sense of familiarity.