Ogata Gekko (1859-1920), had the given name Nagami Shonosuke.
He had no formal training in art and he began his artistic pursuits as an illustrator for newspapers, journals and books.
Slowly he became well known and in about 1884 he started using the name Ogata Gekko. It is said he took the name from the famous artist Ogata Korin at the request of Korin's family.
Eventually, Gekko perfected his own artistic expression merging ukiyo-e, shiho, nihonga and Chinese styles. His unique approach has the appearance of painting with an emphasis on areas of wash rather than flat linear effects. He was well respected and recognised during his lifetime and exhibited internationally.