Out of stock
Through the arch
$0.00
A gateway between worlds —
Through the Arch features Satoru Abe’s well-known “stick figure” motif, rendered in warm, earthy tones and abstract form.
It may reference the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and possibly Abe’s time serving in the 442nd Infantry Regiment during World War II — a deeply personal chapter in his life.
Born in Honolulu in 1926, Abe was a central member of the Metcalf Chateau, a collective of pioneering Asian American artists.
In the 1950s, he and other members moved to New York, where they helped shape Mid-Century Abstract Expressionism alongside major figures like Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and the now-legendary Irrascibles.
This painting is rich in symbolism, identity, and historical weight — a rare opportunity to collect work by one of Hawai‘i’s most important modern artists.
About Satoru Abe
Satoru Abe (1926-2025) was a Japanese American sculptor and painter born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Many residents have grown up with his public sculptures found throughout the island. Abe’s works follow motifs surrounding organic botanical connection to nature. A recurring form that can be found in his pieces is that of trees and rock formations. Abstracted forms, no doubt influenced by his time in New York in the 1950’s. Surrounded by such great mid century artists, he would develop his own signature style. Abe studied at the Art Students League in New York in the late 1940s. He then founded the influential Metcalf Chateau group which consisted of seven Asian-American Hawaii artists. His works span from his early exploration of the figure in the 1950s, through his sculptural practice in the latter half of the 20th century, to his most recent abstract paintings made during the Covid pandemic.
English 
Japanese