Arrived in the another land of Hawaii on that morning. Unbelievably blue skies. An Eden of an entirely new order.(*)

After suffering an illness in 1973, Genichiro Inokuma (1902–1993) decided to leave New York, his home for 20 years. Landing in Hawaii the following year he was heartened to be greeted by brilliant blue skies, and vowed to make this a new departure, as he took his “second first steps in America.”*
Setting up studio in Honolulu, in 1976 Inokuma would complete a painting inspired by a rainbow seen in his new island home. This painting would be the first of a stream of vibrantly colored canvases obviously influenced by the natural environment of Hawaii, and further informed by the artist’s fascination with the cosmos.
From the skyscrapers of New York to Pacific paradise: this exhibition showcases work from Inokuma’s Hawaiian years, in which sustained by new surroundings, he pursued his personal painting path with greater freedom than ever.

*From Inokuma’s diary (July 20, 1974), as quoted directly.