Many of you know I work in a variety of media, but watercolor is my passion. There is nothing else like it that responds so eloquently and honestly and lets light pass through the pigments and bounce back! Using my multicultural perspective, I listen for, and connect on an emotional level with mo’olelo (stories) of other times. These stories become paintings and projects that give gentle encouragement for alternate stories to be heard. Just as I switch between two homes, I also switch back and forth from solitary image making to working with others to help their stories come forth. ‘Talking story’ with others connects me with them and their home.

This body of work samples two series: Wahi Pana are en plein air landscapes and Color Bridges. The landscapes are created after listening to stories told by kupuna strongly associated with their locale. “Arrival of the First Nations” imagines Kane’ohe after Proto-Polynesian settlers began to terraform their home. Color Bridges is a series of meditative calligraphic abstracts that I use to encourage and teach others how to use color as a tool and process to enhance their mood and encourage self exploration. These two series together show the duality of straddling different worlds, physically, culturally and internally.

Contact me if you want to book a visit to see the show IRL. You can read more about each wahi pana via the QR codes posted besides each work, or attend one of my interactive all-inclusive online workshops to create your own Color Bridge posted on eventbrite for Oct 23, Nov 20 and Dec 13th. For more info, contact me at dawn @dawnyoshimurastudio.com

Follow Dawn Yoshimura                                                             

@dawnyoshimurastudio