Hiroshi Tagami: Olomana Range, O'ahu

SCHOLARSHIP AUCTION 2009
Artist: Hiroshi Tagami
Title: Olomana Range, O'ahu
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 23" x 35"
Date: 1977

This spectacular mountain landscape by Hiroshi Tagami, Olomana Range, O'ahu, signed and dated, presents an unusual and very dramatic perspective of the Ko’olau range on Windward O’ahu.  The crest of the ridge rises in a diagonal and activates the canvas.  Always a master of atmosphere, Tagami captures the spectacular lighting that accentuates the steep edges of the ridgeline.  The impressionist light streams down the fingers of the Ko’olau and establishes the majesty evoked by the wind-carved Windward mountains.  Deep crevices and golden-capped peaks create a tonal contrast like that of Renaissance chiaroscuro.  Tagami’s palette knife technique, however, is a hallmark of Hawaiian modernism as it both simplifies the details and emphasizes the power of the landscape.

Signature passages of Tagami’s masterful painting style are seen in the movement of the palm trees, each frond applied with perfect shape and texture.  Splashed with sunlight, a natural spectrum of green tones is seen throughout the painting.  The wind blows through the trees and vegetation while mists soften the drama of the scene and evoke a mood of mystery in the grandeur of nature.  

Hiroshi Tagami, was born in Hawai’i in 1930 during the depression years.  As one of twelve children, he had a father who died at an early age. This forced him to spend a good deal of his youth working on O'ahu plantations to help support his family during those lean times.  As a young adult, Tagami enlisted in the military and served the United States during the Korean conflict. After returning home to Hawai’i, he began and operated a successful photography business for several years.

In 1964 Tagami used his G.I. Bill benefits to enroll at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. He began his professional art career at that time. He was the founder and operator of the Botanical Gardens and Gallery on O'ahu for several years.  His works are in public and private collections worldwide including the permanent collections of the AMFAC Corporation, Bank of Hawai’i, State Foundation of Culture and the Arts (Hawai’i), and the Walter Cecil Rawis Museum in Hawai’i.

Gift from Mr. and Mrs. John Radway