This exhibition pairs the work of visionary, self-taught artist Joseph E. Yoakum (1890–1972) with that of Ray Yoshida (1930–2009).

Born on Kauaʻi, Yoshida became one of the most influential artists and teachers in postwar Chicago. Yoakum, who was of African American and Native American descent, traveled widely with the circus after running away from home as a child. The self-described “hobo and stowaway” began drawing at the age of seventy and showed his vibrant, swelling landscapes in a Chicago storefront. These works, informed by memory, spirituality, and personal mythology, quickly drew the attention of key figures in the postwar Chicago art scene, including Yoshida, who became an important supporter of Yoakum’s work. Drawing from the Honolulu Museum of Art’s collection, this exhibition reunites works by both artists to explore their shared journey. Explore these two the artists’ shared connections, distinctive visions, and postwar Chicago art scene at HoMA.