Tomi Tate is a Japanese-American painter and writer born and raised in North County San Diego, California. His work is shaped by coastal landscapes, questions of belonging, and the quiet tensions that emerge between intimacy and distance. He spent four formative years living in New Mexico, where the contrast between desert and ocean informed his work and deepened his approach to storytelling.

His debut novel, Fisherman’s Confession, was published in September 2025.

When he is not writing or painting, he spends his time surfing at the Oceanside Pier—a constant presence in his life and a source of mental clarity, rhythm, and influence.