Where Inspiration Pushes Artist’s Boundaries

Hawaii inspires people to create great works thanks to its tradition, extremely diverse culture, landscapes that take away one’s breath. The history of Hawaii is also rich enough to interest people in doing research on the same and trying to transfer that knowledge to the canvas.

All of the things that are mentioned above have inspired dozens of great artists throughout the years. The number of significant works that draw inspiration from one or more aspects of Hawaii is staggering. You can find those works in the majority of museums and art galleries in Honolulu and other Hawaiian cities. If you don’t want to travel to Hawaii, you can check some works in the continental states as well. You have to check some of the more prominent galleries, and there is a good chance there will be some Hawaii inspired artwork there.

Contemporary artists from Hawaii

Contemporary artists from HawaiiIf you are going to discuss contemporary art, then you have to mention John Koga, A Hawaiian contemporary artist whose art knows no boundaries. This man is a sculptor, photographer, painter and a provocateur that isn’t afraid of taking controversial themes and incorporating them in his work.  He uses simple things like driftwood, masking tape, stones, and branches and so on to convey his message in his works. He is one of a few people that manage to combine common things to create modern contemporary arts that express messages many avoid due to controversy those messages deliver.

Maile Andrade is another contemporary artist worth the praise due to her works. She is a native Hawaiian is a professor of art at the University of Hawaii. She expresses herself through fashion, jewelry, and mixed media art. Her works are entwined with Hawaiian culture, spirituality, heritage and much more. She works with a variety of materials including glass, metal, and fibers as well as many the natural materials. Maile herself says that her contemporary works are there to challenge notions and ideas through her native Hawaiian roots.

Other notable Hawaiian artists, you probably heard about

Other notable Hawaiian artistsMadge Tennent was born in England and moved to Hawaii where the accomplished a lot. Many consider her as Hawaiian due to the nature of her work that depicted Hawaiian women in their best. She was influenced by the works of Cezanne, Renoir, and Picasso which can be recognized in the way she conveyed her ideas. A lot of her pictures depicted women in the middle of work or other activities that are specific to Hawaii (things like, lei-making, dancing and so on).

The beauty of Hawaii is enchanting, and it attracts people from everywhere. An example of this was a famous Armenian artist called Arman Manookian. He had to flee Turkey and ended in the US where he enlisted in the army. His army life led him to Hawaii where he decided to stay and create his works. He didn’t create many works but is still considered as “Hawaiian Van Gogh” because he took his own life. Anyone interested in his work can check it out at the Honolulu Museum of Art.