Page 6 - MidWeek East - April 6, 2022

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APRIL 6, 2022
“Anything goes!” says 95- year old East O‘ahu resident and master artist Satoru Abe, with a twinkle in his eyes and a wry smile. The last of the famous group of Abstract Ex- pressionists rooted in Hawai‘i, Abe was referring to what the 243 oil paintings he had paint- ed during the pandemic had in common.
BY MARYANNE LONG
Abstract Expressionist Satoru Abe: A Lasting Legacy
(Above) Satoru Abe works on one of 19 sculptures he created during the pandemic.
PHOTO COURTESY GAIL GOTO
(Right) Satoru Abe with Lori Harrison and Robert Harrison, First Hawaiian Bank chairman, president and CEO.
PHOTO COURTESY MARISSA CHOW
Many of those paintings are now on display and available for purchase with the reopen- ing of the First Hawaiian Cen- ter art gallery at the corner of Bishop and King streets.
in Hawai‘i. We’re pleased to be able to reopen the space at First Hawaiian Center to sup- port local artists while making their work more accessible to the people of Hawai‘i,” says First Hawaiian Bank chairman, president and CEO Bob Harri- son. “Art has a way of bringing people together and the gallery provides a downtown venue where our community can con- nect and be inspired.”
He went on to explain, “I wanted to paint something that I had never painted before. With no preconceived con- cepts, sketches or notions in mind, I started my first blank canvas with a palette of oil paints.”
Having this iconic sculptor and painter as their first exhib- itor reflects Abe’s strong tie to First Hawaiian Bank, as his En- chanting Garden sculpture an- chors the water feature in front of First Hawaiian Center.
As Abe looks at the 243 paintings — each 18-by- 24 inches and meticulously framed — he sees each one as four different paintings, de- pending on the orientation.
In keeping with his penchant for variety in his work, Abe also created 19 sculptures for the exhibit.
“The bank is proud of its rich history of supporting the arts
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