Explore the art and process of renowned painter and sculptor George Tsutakawa. Watch a quick introduction to the fountains of George Tsutakawa, then explore how water falls over and through different shapes.
Meet George Tsutakawa
George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a celebrated Seattle painter, sculptor, and fountain maker. He was a second generation Japanese American (Nisei) and lived part of his childhood in Japan where he studied traditional Japanese arts with his grandparents.
His early artwork included block prints, paintings, and wooden sculptures. For much of his 60-year career he created abstract (non-representational works). He often explored the idea of stacked shapes in his sculptures and fountains. He was interested in the concept of obos, or cairns, after learning about the ritual stacking of rocks made by trekkers and pilgrims on high Himalayan Mountain passes.