In 1988 Tanabe moved to Sitges, a small town on the Catalan coast near Barcelona, Spain. He spent a few years there, at the edge of the Mediterranean sea. His paintings are infused with the Mediterranean landscape—the earth, the sea and the light. At the same time, the rich tradition of his Japanese culture is very clearly evident in his work.

One of the first impressions one receives from Tanabe’s paintings is the deep respect with which the subject is treated; a closing of the distance between the painter, the subject and the viewer. Elements merge within his work—nothing presents itself apart from the composition as a whole. The principal trait of Tanabe’s work is the natural rhythm, which implies life and reflects the sense of amazement that the artist feels when confronted with the spectacle of nature.

The magnificent works of Tanabe are testimony to a place in space and time that will never repeat itself, and that cannot be compared with anything else.