Find New Paints of View in This Satoru Abe Exhibition

“Satoru Abe: 100 New Paintings” is on view at UH Mānoa through Dec. 8.

October 15, 2024

Brie Thalmann,

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

In creating pieces for Satoru Abe: 100 New Paintings, on view at UH Mānoa through Dec. 8, acclaimed painter-sculptor Satoru Abe took a decidedly fresh approach, self-imposing criteria that each work be viewable and displayable four ways: right side up, upside down and rotated either direction.

“[It’s] something I had never painted before,” he says of the concept, which the now 98-year-old artist from Mō‘ili‘ili stumbled upon in-studio. “I just happened to turn a piece 90 degrees, and I saw something very different that opened up everything.”

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Showcasing his mastery of modern abstraction, the lyrical collection highlights Abe’s ability to evolve after decades of creating. It’s also a call to action for other artists. “Just be free. Explore,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to do something that’s never been done before.”