Untitled, Abstracted Matsuri (Festival)

Tetsuo “Bob” Ochikubo (1923–1975) was a Japanese American artist born in Hawaii. He was known for his abstract paintings and printmaking and was a founding member of the Metcalf Chateau group, which consisted of seven Asian American artists. During his youth, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he studied painting and design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York before traveling to Japan to reconnect with his roots and studied traditional brush painting. Ochikubo’s works display the balance between abstract forms and space, reflecting a Japanese aesthetic.