Isami Doi Collection
Isami Doi (1903-1965) was a printmaker, painter, jewelry maker and one of Hawaii’s first visual artists to garner an international reputation. He was a mentor to younger artists who blossomed after World War II. He was raised on Kauai and was influenced by its natural beauty throughout his career. He became interested in art at an early age and in the 1920s took University of Hawaii classes in design, drawing and ceramics. His early career as an artist took him to New York. He returned to Kauai before leaving in 1930 to spend several months in Paris.
This collection was gifted to Hamilton Library in 2002 with the core material being the personal letters from Isami Doi to his friend and mentor Alexander (“Sandy”) Blake concerning his life as an artist on Kauai and in New York and Paris. The archive is supplemented by news clippings, articles, and exhibition catalogs concerning Doi and his art. The original gift was expanded in 2025 with an impressive addition of works on paper that once belonged to Mr. Blake and his family. For more information on Doi and the archive, see the research guide and finding aid.
Images provided for non-profit educational use and study. No commercial use and no AI use.
This collection was gifted to Hamilton Library in 2002 with the core material being the personal letters from Isami Doi to his friend and mentor Alexander (“Sandy”) Blake concerning his life as an artist on Kauai and in New York and Paris. The archive is supplemented by news clippings, articles, and exhibition catalogs concerning Doi and his art. The original gift was expanded in 2025 with an impressive addition of works on paper that once belonged to Mr. Blake and his family. For more information on Doi and the archive, see the research guide and finding aid.
Images provided for non-profit educational use and study. No commercial use and no AI use.
!["John + Mary" A Series of Linoleum Cuts by Isami Doi](https://digital.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/files/square_thumbnails/bb50dfc69d9c7f5cf43b15c2a8067072.jpg ""John + Mary" A Series of Linoleum Cuts by Isami Doi")
