Isami Doi: A Pioneer of Hawaiian Abstract Expressionism Isami Doi was a second generation Japanese American, born to immigrant parents who ran a general store on the island of Kauaʻi. His artistic training began at the University of Hawaiʻi (1921-23) but more significantly took shape in New York City (1923-38). There, Doi developed his painting and printmaking practices under Albert Bierstadt, whose landscapes profoundly impacted Doi’s early aesthetic sensibilities—a preference for muted tones and a focus on capturing the grandeur of nature. This formative period instilled in Doi a deep appr…