Wind through Pine Trees/ Reclining Dragon

Takehiko SUGAWARA

The painting displayed at the front entrance is a work by the Japanese painter Takehiko SUGAWARA.
Mr. Sugawara was profoundly moved by the Jindai Zakura—the ancient cherry tree in Yamanashi Prefecture believed to be over 1,000 years old—and created a number of powerful works expressing the life force of pines and cherry blossoms. For this occasion, he added cherry blossom petals to the platinum-foil surface of the center panel of a rare, vertically oriented three-panel folding screen (byōbu-e) titled Garyū no Matsu (The Recumbent Dragon Pine), resulting in the work Garyū Shōrai (The Recumbent Dragon and the Sound of the Wind through Pines). The term “Garyū” refers to an extraordinary yet-undiscovered talent quietly gathering strength—much like Zhuge Liang (Zhuge Kongming of the Three Kingdoms period) before he rose to prominence.
In March 2025, I had the privilege of visiting Mr. Sugawara’s atelier. He scattered cherry blossoms into the wind right before my eyes. It happened to be my wife’s birthday, and the experience became an unforgettable memory for us.
I had hoped that our relationship with him would continue for many years. However, Mr. Sugawara passed away in July 2025. I had sincerely looked forward to welcoming him to the completed AERO, imagining the moment he would open its entrance door—and envisioning him sketching cherry blossoms during his stay.
We have also installed a work by his son, the artist Riku Sugawara, on the bench beside the outdoor tennis court.
You can read more about that story here:

Takehiko SUGAWARA

Born in Tokyo in 1962, he studied Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) at Tama Art University. In 1996, a life-changing encounter with the Jindai Zakura—the ancient cherry tree in Yamanashi believed to be over a thousand years old—opened the door to his distinctive artistic world. Deeply moved by the vibrant energy and ever-changing life force emanating from the tree’s massive trunk, he began expressing this vitality through his own highly original forms. His search for subjects extended to other iconic motifs, including the Usuzumi Zakura, the Taki Zakura (Waterfall Cherry Tree), the Garyū no Matsu (Recumbent Dragon Pine), and the Kirifuri Falls.
While rooted in traditional Nihonga techniques—such as allowing ink to bleed from the reverse side of handmade Echizen washi—he continually pursued new modes of expression. These included intentionally creating fissures using shōen-boku, Japan’s oldest pine-soot ink, to construct grand, dynamic visual worlds. His international presence grew following a successful solo exhibition in Paris in 2012. Today, his works—imbued with a profound breath of life—grace the walls of world-renowned hotels and public institutions, including the entrance hall of The Symphony Hall.

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