Kipuka, 2022

66" x 42"

Collage with paint, handmade paper, thread, and charcoal on plywood

This piece is inspired by the kipuka forests on the Big Island of Hawai'i. These forests are isolated from larger wildlife because of the young lava flows surrounding them. There are rare birds, like the i'iwi and apapane, that live there secluded from big mammals that would eat away at the trees. In this collage I wanted to capture the richness of the wildlife in the kipukas using color and texture, contrasting it against the lava surroundings which contain movement of their own in the flowing patterns the rock creates.