Title: Flowers From Fire
Size: 16x20" (unframed) 24x28" (framed)
Medium: Oil and metal leaf on birch panel
 
Artist Statement:
The ʻōhiʻa lehua plant is a common sight across lava fields and up the steep stony cliffs of mountain ranges. It is known for it's tenacity and ability to grow out of sheer rock. Often among the first plants to spring up after a lava flow cools, it has symbolic and mythological connections to Pele - the goddess of volcanoes, rain, love, and fidelity. Despite the seemingly iddlyic atmosphere of the islands, the political and economic challenges in Hawai'i can often create rocky ground for individuals and families, but yet they fight and flourish. The culture and soul of the people continues to blossom through the cracks of colonialism, government corruption, white supremacy, and environmental damage. We must decry the destruction, but also celebrate the resilience. A portion of the proceeds from this piece will be donated to ecological preservation efforts in Hawai'i.