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Arthur Okamura (American, 1932-2009) oil on canvas painting depicting a partially nude male figure standing with his body turned slightly toward the viewer, possibly a juggler, holding a piece of fruit in the palm of one hand and wearing what appears to be a newspaper hat atop his head. A nude female is seated in the background, watching him. Signed "Okamura" lower left and dated 1954. Housed in a rustic wooden frame with white painted sight edge. Sight – 47 1/2" H x 33" W. Frame – 55" H x 40 1/2" W. Biography: California-born Arthur Okamura, whose parents were of Asian descent, was interned with his family for several years of his childhood during World War II following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After the war ended, he and his family moved to Chicago. Okamura attended the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was awarded a Foreign Travel Fellowship. He went to Mallorca and met Black Mountain, North Carolina poet Robert Creeley, known for his collaborations between literature and painting. Creeley's work and mentorship influenced Okamura's art for years to come. Okamura returned to the U.S. in the mid-1950s and resettled permanently in California, where he painted for the rest of his life and also taught at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.
CONDITION: 24" x 2" vertical dampstain to back of canvas, extending to frame. Dampstaining is visible to a small area on the front of frame at the lower edge. Otherwise very good condition.
