June 13, 2026 – October 19, 2026

Celebrating Takao Tanabe’s extraordinary contributions to Canadian art, this retrospective marks his 100th birthday on September 16, 2026, and features over sixty paintings spanning more than seven decades. It offers a comprehensive look at his evolving visual language and the remarkable breadth of Tanabe’s artistic practice.

Born in 1926 in Seal Cove, Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Tanabe is a second-generation Japanese Canadian whose work has profoundly shaped the landscape of Canadian art. Renowned for his abstract and representational landscapes, he distills the essence of place through masterful control of form, colour, and brushwork. Across his oeuvre, familiar terrains and coastal scenes are transformed into luminous compositions that balance serenity with energy, reflecting a deep, contemplative engagement with land and water.

Alongside iconic coastal and prairie landscapes, Takao Tanabe: Inside Passage showcases lesser-known bodies of work, including the Emperor series, hard-edge paintings, and intimate river scenes, providing a more comprehensive appreciation of Tanabe’s creative range. Each canvas, whether modernist abstraction or tranquil coastal sky, demonstrates his lifelong pursuit of visual and emotional resonance in shape and nature.

Tanabe’s influence extends beyond his technical mastery, merging Eastern and Western traditions with the modernist movements of postwar Canada. His contributions have been recognized with numerous honours, including the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, the Order of Canada, and the Audain Prize for the Visual Arts. This exhibition invites visitors to celebrate Takao Tanabe’s centennial, reflect on his enduring legacy, and experience the quiet power and poetic refinement that define his remarkable body of work.

Presented in Inside Passage is Tanabe’s extraordinary ability to capture a visual expression of emotion through abstraction, as well as the essence of picturesque places. From tranquil rivers and mountains to dramatic coastal vistas, his work evokes both stillness and grandeur, offering a poetic reflection on nature and a lasting testament to his artistic legacy.

Takao Tanabe: Inside Passage is curated by Kiriko Watanabe, Gail & Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chief Curator, Audain Art Museum; Jonathan Shaughnessy, Director, Curatorial Initiatives, Interim Senior Curator Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Canada; and Steven McNeil, Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

Takao Tanabe, Inside Passage 1/04: Malacca Passage, 2004. Acrylic on canvas, 52″ x 120″. Collection of Polygon Homes Ltd.

Co-organized by the Audain Art Museum, the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Supporting Sponsor

Government Partner

The Audain Art Museum gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is grateful to be on the shared, unceded territory of the Lil’wat People, known in their language as Lil’wat7úl, and the Squamish People, known in their language as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and respects and commits to a deep consideration of their history, culture, stewardship and voice

Hotel Partner

Generously Supported By

Hopes & Dreams Foundation