Tatsuo Horiuchi, the 77-Year-Old Artist Who ‘Paints” Japanese Landscapes With Excel

The seventy-year-old Japanese Tatsuo Horiuchi creates pictures using Microsoft Excel. These are not some abstractions from the diagrams, but classic works of painting with completely traditional Japanese motifs. Take a look at these amazing works. Already more than 15 years draws mountain landscapes, cherry blossoms and dense forests.

Such an unusual application to the table processor was found because of the model of its spread. After retiring, Horiuti decided to devote himself to something new and bought a computer.

The 77-year-old illustrator did not want to pay for expensive supplies for drawing and even for installing the main graphics programs on his computer, declaring that he preferred Excel to even the Microsoft Painter, because it has “more functions and is easier to use.”

With the help of simple vector drawing tools, developed mainly for creating graphs and diagrams, Horiuti draws panoramic scenes from the life of rural Japan.

It took about ten years, and Tatsuo Horiuchi became a recognized master. His paintings are shown at famous exhibitions, impressing in size, detail and technique of creation.

Great Big Story recently visited Horiuchi in her home for a brief interview and behind-the-scenes look at how he works. If you are even a little skeptical, here are two of his early works in Excel that you can download and explore on your own:

— Cherry Blossoms at Jogo Castle (2006)
— Kegon Falls (2007)

You can explore more of Horiuchi’s Excel drawings on his website and at Spoon & Tamago.