Kuniyoshi 1924 island of happiness

Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889–1953) was a Japanese-born American painter who was an influential teacher and a leader of artists’ organizations. Kuniyoshi went to the United States in 1906 and 1907 began to study painting at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design. He moved to New York City in 1910 to attend the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League. In 1917 he befriended Hamilton Easter Field, a patron of modern art and the founder and editor of Arts magazine. With Field’s support, Kuniyoshi began to explore his expression.