My sculpture has been internationally recognized and worldwide travels have included Europe, Asia, North America and various Pacific Rim countries. My artistic roots evolved while living in Germany in the late 1960s via my experiences at Documenta and other art shows occurring in Europe during this time.  I was involved with painting and worked as an architectural draftsman with dreams of becoming an architect.  When I retuned to Hawaii I was drawn to the Sculptural Abstract Expressionist Style of New York.  My formal art lineage is based on the works of Marc Chagall, Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, Isamu Noguchi, David Smith, Tony Smith, George Rickey, Mark di Suvero, Mamoru Sato and Fred Roster.  I worked on my college degrees in the 1970s and was involved in student art shows while at the University of Hawaii. My studies included art, architecture, anthropology, engineering, political science and law. 

The struggle to get Contemporary Art Support in Hawaii has been a constant battle and with out the support of hotel developers like Chris Hemmeter the 1980s would have been difficult and could have resulted in the loss of many artists since they were leaving Hawaii for greener pastures but art thrived and I did make a living by working with other artists in a place called the "Art Zone".  This team effort resulted in artists combining their resources to undertake large scale art projects and then sharing the profits to pay for the gallery and studio space and having enough money left over to survive.  It broke down as artists attempted to directly negotiate and undercut other artists and then it became free for all and every artist was on his own.

During the 1970s - 80s the Hawaiian Renaissance came into existence. I came to acknowledge my heritage as an artist of Hawaiian ancestry and I was an accomplished sculptor with a need to share my ideas which lead to my involvement with the Contemporary Hawaiian Arts movement.  (See Na Maka O ka Aina video archive 1989)

Contemporary Native Hawaiian Artists were not recognized as artists and many critics viewed Native Art as craft and not fine art. As a sculptor many opportunities were available but as a Contemporary Hawaiian Sculptor there was no support or understanding since the logic was that once the Hawaiian people lost their country in the 1893 overthrow the culture essentially died and now the contemporary culture was based on American art culture that embraced the fine arts of painting and sculpture.   The fact that museums portrayed the dead art of Hawaii as the real art only perpetuated the myth that Hawaiian culture had died.

As Hawaiian people revived their culture in hula, music and the language arts the population grew and the question became if there are living native people isn't their culture continuing to evolve.  Many native people were also being educated away from Hawaii and brought back a different world view.   The problem was that the fine arts community was very small but we were able to convince the Bishop Museum and the Academy of Arts to understand that these artists and their art work represent a very contemporary native Hawaiian point of view and that as native people they represented a continuation and evolution of Hawaiian culture and that they should embrace both the dead art and living artists who are continuing to create art. (Archival Newspapers) Their art styles are all unique and very expressive.  Many of these artists are well versed in the Modern Art movement and understand that Modern Art had its start with native art and now Modern art has now gone full circle.

I continue to be involved with securing recognition of the Contemporary Hawaiian Art movement by being involved with shows and encouraging younger artists to engage in art making. I enjoy participating in cultural exchanges that focus on the issues of the evolving contemporary native art. (MAMO)

My individual artistic style is abstract and involves 3-D compositions, which contrast carefully selected materials and involve structural elements, which are based on anthropometric relationships to achieve a unique visual and spatial balance. Balance is a recurring theme in my work. I also enjoy designing installations and insuring that the viewers are constantly involved with the artwork.

I am excited that internationally Museums, Galleries and Critics are recognizing Contemporary Native Art and that this diversity adds to a rich international culture. Modern art has gone full circle.  (New York Museum of Arts and Design, Changing Hands II)

Through out the world Contemporary Native Fine Arts are being recognized and supported and it is time for Hawaii to recognize the contributions of its own native artists.  I see these contemporary fine artists who are all working hard to be recognized as the advance guard or the tip of the spear.   These artists will have to compete with the global arts community on the bigger art scene.

The eventual recognition and the acknowledgement of Hawaii's native fine artists, who are the host culture, simply adds to the diversity that creates the rich international culture enjoyed in Hawaii.  It is vital that the Tip of the Spear lead the way. (Te Waka Toi Maoris)

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