Art Sanctuary Allan West

By Kenneth Valencich / The Japan News

18:00 JST, May 16, 2025

Art Sanctuary Allan West is a studio and gallery in Taito Ward, Tokyo, filled with beautiful and vibrant nihonga paintings.

Allan West specializes in painting scenes from nature with pigments made from the crushed minerals characteristic of traditional Japanese nihonga art.

West was born in the United States and first came to Japan over 40 years ago specifically in search of these pigments.

Visitors at the studio can purchase his paintings and prints, or even commission a painting for themselves.

Artist Allan West Portrays Nature’s Splendor with Japanese Paints, but in His World, Plants Aren’t Just Plants