Benchmark John Koga & Satoru Abe bios

59 years ago, I was young, naïve, and had a dream. I thought, “If I could paint like Rembrandt, I'm an artist!” How naïve I was in my youth. I attended art school in New York City to learn how to paint. I continued to paint for years till I started sculpting. I still do both; during the day, sculpture; and at night, painting. It has been a rewarding journey of seeking, discovering, and executing. I have been fortunate to have people support my art, and been in many situations that have encouraged my career. It is these situations, that have sustained me and I am very thankful for. Every day is a new adventure, and to get up every morning working on my art, is a joy that motivates. I hope to continue on, for a few more years. I hope by that time, I will be satisfied.

John Koga bio
Born in Honolulu, currently chief preparator, The Contemporary Museum. Otherworldly artworks of plaster, bronze, stone and wood, available through Fine Art Associates, Honolulu, from $35 to $12,000.

John Koga may be Hawaii’s most well-known living Modernist. He also might be the only local artist you can commission to create a one-of-a-kind object and then provide it with museum-quality installation. His whimsical sculptures are thoughtful extensions of the experimental modes within 20th-century sculptural abstraction established by Noguchi and Moore, while also being vaguely intergalactic; some of Koga’s pieces feel like objects George Lucas might include in the next installment of Star Wars.