Katsushika Hokusai ⁽¹⁴⁾

Katsushika Hokusai was the Japanese artist who essentially turned the sea into an unforgettable work of art, and we have The Great Wave off Kanagawa to thank for that. Known for his dynamic woodblock prints and vivid paintings, Hokusai’s ability to capture motion, energy, and emotion in a single image made him one of Japan’s most celebrated artists—and one of the most influential globally. He was a master at taking subjects as simple as waves, landscapes, and flowers and transforming them into breathtaking, almost surreal visual experiences. With his dramatic compositions and bold use of color, Hokusai’s work looks like it was designed to make you sit up, take notice, and maybe even hold your breath for a second.

Beyond The Great Wave, Hokusai created thousands of works that span a wide range of subjects, from landscapes and portraits to depictions of animals and everyday life. He had a deep love for nature, often focusing on the impermanence of life, symbolized through crashing waves or blooming flowers, and he painted with a sense of movement that was groundbreaking for his time. Despite working in a period of political and social rigidity in Japan, Hokusai’s art broke free from convention, bringing a burst of innovation that would leave its mark on artists worldwide. Known for his relentless energy and endless experimentation, he was still producing masterpieces well into his 80s, proving that true creativity doesn’t come with an expiration date.