SHIGE YAMADA Obituary

SHIGE YAMADA, Artist, 92 Shige Yamada, accomplished artist and devoted educator, passed away peacefully from complications of late stage dementia during a brief stay at Hospice Maui. Born and raised in Wailuku, Japanese family traditions and the landscape of Maui profoundly shaped his character, teaching, and art. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (1955), a Bachelor of Education (1956), and a Master of Fine Arts (1966) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 1956, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving two years in Berlin as a personnel specialist where he and Charles Higa developed a distinctive wet-on-wet watercolor technique that brought both artists early recognition. Returning from service, Shige taught art in California, Japan, and Hawaii and went on to become a professor at the University Laboratory School at UH. He authored Ceramics in Hawaii, 1977, documenting the work of pioneers in contemporary ceramics in Hawaii. A gifted and generous teacher, he mentored generations of students, many of whom went on to notable careers of their own. Shige was an artist of remarkable range: ceramist, painter, computer artist, and sculptor. He returned to Maui in 1988 to pursue his work full-time creating 4 significant, public commissions: Gift of Water, 1997, at the Hawaii Convention Center. Rainbows, 1997, at the Stan Sheriff Center, UH Manoa. Storyteller, 2002, at Luxury Row in Waikiki. None is more iconic than Maui Releasing the Sun, 1992, which welcomes visitors and residents, at the Kahului Airport. Other works are in the following permanent collections: the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. the Honolulu Museum of Art. the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City. the Phoenix Art Museum. Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. In recognition of his contribution to the community and Hawaii's art culture, Shige was designated a Living Treasure of Hawaii by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii in 1993, a distinguished honor. Retirement enabled him to landscape his home in Kihei and pursue his love of swimming in the ocean. Shige is survived by his spouse, Jay Wilson, three of his eleven siblings, Mitsumi Yamada, Sonoe (Gale) Murai, and Carol Fujioka, and many beloved nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 2PM at Maui Memorial Park, 450 Waiale Road, Wailuku. The service will be held rain or shine. -Pam Jaasko, Dawn Murai-Wong, Jef Ruchti, Jay Wilson.