Until his death in 1997 John Young was undoubtedly one of the dominant individuals in Hawaii's art community. He was born in Honolulu on March 26,1909, the son of Chinese immigrants and began drawing at the age of eight, stimulated by Chinese calligraphy, which he learned in Chinese language school.
Young had his first and only art lessons while a student at McKinley High School in Honolulu. Thereafter, his art was entirely self-taught and nurtured through a life-long interest in the art and artifacts of many cultures. John Young had his first exhibition at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in Honolulu in 1930. Ten years later he won first prize at the annual exhibition of the Association of Honolulu Artists.
In the following years, John Young had numerous solo shows in Honolulu, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, where he found many admirers of his work.
Many of Young's works on canvas or paper appear ultimately rooted in his study of classical Chinese paintings where a sense of vitality is conveyed in spontaneous brush lines. He once described his style as abstract impressionist. It is a style which emerged and evolved over the years and found expression through a number of media including woodcuts, watercolors, oils and acrylics.
Through his painter's eye, Young was always inspired by works of ancient art. When he sold his first painting as a young artist, he used the money to purchase an object from a famous antique store that had a branch in Waikiki. This acquisition commenced a lifetime of collecting art, and produced an eclectic but notable collection. In the latter years of his life, Young gifted some of his collections to the Honolulu Academy of Arts and Punahou School
In 1991, Young began a collaboration with the University of Hawai‘i. The master plan was to convert one of the wings of Krauss Hall, then undergoing restoration, into a museum. With an initial starter collection gifted by Young, the museum would house quality works of art gifted by friends of the University. The Museum was John Young's last major project, an endeavor he dedicated to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Young Hin.
On February 24, 1999, over a year after his death, John Young's vision for a campus museum became a reality with the official dedication of The John Young Museum of Art. The facility is the University's first museum.
Exhibited: Honolulu Academy of Art, 1930, 1935 (solo), 1938 (medal); Chinese AA, De Young Museum, 1935; Calif. WC Society, 1938-40; GGIE, 1939; Honolulu Artists, 1940 (1st prize); SFAA, 1940. In: Honolulu Academy of Art.
