About the Object

Like many of Sato’s works, this painting of a sunset in the modernist style, showcases the artist’s love for the environment of his native Hawaiian landscape. The monochromatic gray palette of his New York days, yielded to brilliant colors, inspired by the ecology of Hawaii, but also the atomic age. In this work the rich orange palette conveys the warmth of the sunlight over the horizon line but also suggests a world on fire.

Additional Information

Sato’s early work focused on abstractions of New York City, especially the subway, which was a revelation to him. Once he began splitting his time between New York, Hawaii, and Japan, his art evolved to reflect these changing environments. In 1960, Sato settled in Honolulu, where he was a founding member of the “Metcalf Chateau,” a group of seven Asian American pioneers of modern art in Hawaii. The group shaped much of Hawaii’s modern art aesthetics, which are often associated with abstract expressionism.