STATEMENT
A longstanding fascination with the mythic allure of Hawaii and an obsession with the imagined stories of strangers led me to photograph visitors in Waikiki for the past five years. People and landscape come together to create my vision of contemporary Waikiki-- at once strange, contemplative, curious, wandering and familiar. Moving to Hawaii at 13, my perspective is that of an insider and outsider. I am inspired by the straightforward and haunting nature of tintypes and the magic, light and color of old kodachrome slides. I love the regionalism and American archetypes of Grant Wood. I admire Winogrand's tireless curiosity of the American spectacle and his seemingly effortless technique. My candid images capture lone figures or couples caught up in the moment and environment, whether internal or physical. Most tourists are unfamiliar and awkward in the ocean, sand and sun. There is beauty, honesty and vulnerability when defenses are shed and one finally succumbs to vacation.
A longstanding fascination with the mythic allure of Hawaii and an obsession with the imagined stories of strangers led me to photograph visitors in Waikiki for the past five years. People and landscape come together to create my vision of contemporary Waikiki-- at once strange, contemplative, curious, wandering and familiar. Moving to Hawaii at 13, my perspective is that of an insider and outsider. I am inspired by the straightforward and haunting nature of tintypes and the magic, light and color of old kodachrome slides. I love the regionalism and American archetypes of Grant Wood. I admire Winogrand's tireless curiosity of the American spectacle and his seemingly effortless technique. My candid images capture lone figures or couples caught up in the moment and environment, whether internal or physical. Most tourists are unfamiliar and awkward in the ocean, sand and sun. There is beauty, honesty and vulnerability when defenses are shed and one finally succumbs to vacation.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Current Exhibition
2015 Solo Exhibition, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, Hawaii (November 16 2015 - January 17 2016)
Past Exhibitions
2015 Artists of Hawaii, Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, Hawaii
2014 36 Views of Leahi , The Arts at Mark's Garage, curated by Masami Teraoka, Honolulu, Hawaii
2014 36th Annual Commitment to Excellence, The Honolulu Museum of Art School, organized by the H.J.C.C., Honolulu, Hawaii
2013 Hawai'i: Our World, Our Place, The Honolulu Museum of Art at the First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
2013 small photos, Fishcake, Honolulu, Hawaii
Current Exhibition
2015 Solo Exhibition, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, Hawaii (November 16 2015 - January 17 2016)
Past Exhibitions
2015 Artists of Hawaii, Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, Hawaii
2014 36 Views of Leahi , The Arts at Mark's Garage, curated by Masami Teraoka, Honolulu, Hawaii
2014 36th Annual Commitment to Excellence, The Honolulu Museum of Art School, organized by the H.J.C.C., Honolulu, Hawaii
2013 Hawai'i: Our World, Our Place, The Honolulu Museum of Art at the First Hawaiian Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
2013 small photos, Fishcake, Honolulu, Hawaii