Satoru Abe

Art Brokerage: Satoru Abe Japanese Artist: b. 1926. Satoru Abe is a Japanese American sculptor and painter. Abe was born in Moʻiliʻili, a district of Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended President William McKinley High School, where he took art lessons from Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell. After graduating from high school he worked for the Dairymen's Association. In 1947 he began taking art lessons from Hon Chew Hee and decided to pursue an art career in New York City. On his way to New York, in 1948, Abe spent a summer at the California School for Fine Arts. When he reached New York Abe attended the Art Students League of New York where he studied with Yasuo Kuniyoshi, George Grosz, Louis Bouche and Jon Corbino, N.A. (1905-1964). From 1948 to 1959, Abe traveled to New York regularly. He married Ruth, a fellow student from Wahiawa, and they returned to Hawaii in 1950 with their daughter Gail. In Hawaii Abe met local artist Isami Doi, who would become a close friend and mentor. Although Abe began as a painter, he learned welding from Bumpei Akaji in 1951, and the two artists began a series of copper work experiments. During these few years in Hawaii, Abe also formed the Metcalf Chateau with Bumpei Akaji, Edmund Chung, Tetsuo Ochikubo, Jerry T. Okimoto, James Park, and Tadashi Sato. Their first group exhibition was in 1954. In 1956, Abe returned to New York and found a creative home at the Sculpture Center, where his work attracted the attention of gallery owners and others. In 1963, Abe was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. Abe returned to Hawai'i in 1970, and in the same year was offered a National Endowment for the Arts Artist in Resident grant. Listings wanted.