Cosmic Art of Yuichi Tanabe

by jptanabe

Cosmic Art by Yuichi Tanabe available on Zazzle and FineArtAmerica

Here I want to introduce you to some fantastic cosmic art by Yuichi Tanabe. Yes, this is my husband's cosmic art. I think his art is amazing! So hope you enjoy.

Cosmic art is related to science fiction and fantasy, but it's really most deeply connected to spirituality. The cosmos includes the realm of mind, of thought, of consciousness, of spirit. So in addition to images of physical things like suns, moons and planets, and science fiction stuff like aliens and androids, cosmic art involves the realm of thought or imagination, dreams and the world of spirit as well. It has a spiritual connection to things of eternal existence in a realm that is not just physical but seems to transcend both time and space.

All the artworks shown here are copyright Yuichi Tanabe. They can be purchased from several online stores, including Misticmedia at Zazzle and FineArtAmerica.

Profile of Yuichi Tanabe

Yuichi Tanabe was born in Japan and studied design at Osaka Art University. As a teenager he was very interested in science, but realized his ability was insufficient to make a career in that field. His artistic talent, however, allowed him to enter Osaka Art University. Fine art was attractive, but the philosophy of the professors was not, so he moved into design.

His early work was mostly 3-D, metalwork sculpture, but also more futuristic work with lights and interesting effects. Unfortunately computers were not as advanced in those days so he couldn't develop that medium until later.

After moving to the United States he took up acrylic painting. Well, we have a basement but it's not quite enough for metal sculpture production!

Now that computers and their software have advanced, Yuichi has embraced digital art. This is amazing as it allows him to bring together images of real objects, like those mysterious monuments like Stonehenge I find so fascinating, with digitally created scenes and forms. Cosmic stuff I call it!

His work reflects a deep desire to bring together science and spirituality, in a beautiful way. 

World of Child's Imagination Series

This series, as the title suggests, represents the imaginary worlds that children create in their minds. Children are often less constrained than adults, having had less experience of the limits imposed by society, less awareness of their own limitations having experienced fewer failures, and less of the so-called "knowledge" that is imparted to people which is often only partial truth at best. The world of a child's imagination therefore easily transcends the physical world that adults have come to know, leaping into realms uncluttered by complex thoughts and concerns and instead open to the infinite possibilities of the cosmos.

 

Pink Tunnel

This piece, Pink Tunnel, painted in acrylic is based on a picture of our daughter when very young, but with a certain "artistic license" (she doesn't have blue eyes!).

Here the world beneath her is the physical world represented by geometric forms, but behind her, and obviously open to her, is a vast and infinite world waiting to be explored.

Cosmic Dance Series

The "Cosmic Dance" series originated in an interesting way. Here is how Yuichi describes it:

This is my inspiration for the "Cosmic Dance." One day a picture of the Stonehenge landscape caught my attention. Then my consciousness was absorbed into Stonehenge. The next moment my consciousness and that landscape overlapped. Many images appeared and disappeared again and again. Some were of an enormous, endless ocean; others showed a landscape with the clear air of high mountains; and others had the image of a big city with many skyscrapers. Those images each had their own personality. Each existed in a closed space. In my consciousness they appeared to be alive, animate existences beyond space and time. They were jumping, bouncing and flying. They seemed to be dancing in my conscious universe. This picture is a representation of that experience, using computer graphics to visualize it in two dimensions.
Cosmic Dance

 

The first piece in the series, the one originally called Cosmic Dance is clearly based on Stonehenge.

 

Cosmic Dance 4

 

The other piece shown here, Cosmic Dance 4, has a new form. This is a different world, with a large "donut" and even with a UFO. Now that's really what I call a cosmic dance!

Torus

You can see that this is related to the "Cosmic Dance" collection of course. And naturally I think of this one as the "Chocolate Donut"!

It's really a simple piece, but there's something kind of attractive about it (not just that it looks edible, even delicious!); that horizon is just bright and exciting. And the "donut" is certainly odd, stuck there in the barren landscape! Weird enough to intrigue me.

UFO Series

This is the "UFO Series," digital art with no limits!

The first piece, Exploring the Coastline, features a cute little spaceship that looks like it was dipped in chocolate. It's been exploring the land and seems to be about ready to return to its "mother ship," which presumably has been waiting out in a safer area. Well, those cliffs look tough to maneuver even for a UFO!

Adam and Eve

This next one, entitled Adam and Eve, is the meeting of science fiction and religion. Not necessarily a novel idea that human beings appeared from elsewhere, but these look suspiciously like androids of some sort - creatures made artificially by whoever inhabits the UFO. That's interesting! And what gives with those "magic mushrooms" - a different kind of "forbidden fruit"?

Planet Rising

 

This is another digital piece. It's called simply Planet Rising but the inspiration behind it is the mythology that human beings originated on a different planet.

Thus, this piece does have links to the "UFO series."

Android on the Blue Planet

 

I love the color in this one!

That android looks a bit lonely though, or maybe there's a whole bunch of them behind not yet in view.

In any case, there's plenty to wonder about in this scene.

Moai on the Small Planet

This is an acrylic painting. This time based on the Moai of Easter Island, which I just love. Aren't they truly amazing!

Moai on the Small Planet
Moai on the Small Planet

The End of the Journey to Find God

This is another acrylic painting. Clearly it has religious underpinnings, but the title The End of the Journey to Find God suggests perhaps more than the image achieves. While the different religions portrayed are clearly paths on the journey to find God, the end of the journey isn't so clear. Perhaps this is only step one in a series (I hope so!).

Fantasy Series

Nessie

I grew up in Scotland and I love Loch Ness and Nessie. Finally my husband decided to create his own version of Nessie. In fact, he says he's going to do a series on Loch Ness, and I certainly hope so. Anyway, here she is, first and second pictures!

Other Mythical Creatures

Since I spend time writing about various mythical creatures, I have persuaded him to work some of them into his art!

Here we can see the phoenix, flying high and still trailing some of the flames from its rebirth.

In the forest as well as the flying phoenixes you can see a unicorn and a fairy. The fairy is also featured in a new series, still in production.

Tree Fairy
Tree Fairy
The Catalpa Tree Fairy

The fairy illustrations below were created by my husband for my short story "The Catalpa Tree Fairy," soon to be published in a collection of short stories!

Excerpts of this and other short stories can be read online on my website.

I also wrote more about my husband's Cosmic Art here on Wizzley!

Music Series

Yuichi Tanabe is not only an artist he's also talented musician! He has played flute, rather well, for a long time (since college when he realized the trombone is not a good instrument to play in an apartment!). In this series he combines his love of music with his artistic talent. These pieces are only the beginning ....

Featuring Jazz
Music Medley
Music Medley
The Cosmic Art of Yuichi Tanabe
The Cosmic Art of Yuichi Tanabe

See more of Yuichi Tanabe's art

His business name is Mistic Media, and you can find his work at:

  • On FineArtAmerica
  • On Zazzle at https://www.zazzle.com/store/misticmedia
Updated: 02/24/2023, jptanabe
 
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What Do You Think of Yuichi Tanabe's Cosmic Art?

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DerdriuMarriner on 08/02/2018

jptanabe, Thank you for the fascinating backstory and compelling product line. All of your husband's art conveys an unusual artistry and mind. Does he feel sounds, hear colors and taste shapes synesthetically? Some research indicates that humans are born with synesthetic talents that typically (and unfortunately) get lost as four-month-olds.
In particular, I like the cosmic dance, meditation, music, nessie and phoenix series.

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