Capitol Modern Museum’s newest exhibit, “Kaiāulu: Rising Together,” showcases local artists who use their work to capture how climate change has challenged Hawaiʻi.
The four were chosen for the Artist Climate Action Residency program by the Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission and the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant.
Through their forms of creative expression, the artists brought in topics of sea level rise, unpredictable weather, ancestral knowledge, and what the future of Hawaiʻi could look like.
Erin Voss, one of the featured artists, specializes in landscape artwork that illustrates the impacts of urbanization on coastlines. She said her work embodies the idea of “ridge to reef,” which she wants to be a symbol of how everything is connected.
“Growing up in Hawaiʻi, we are presented early on with the challenges of climate change, just by living on an island and seeing firsthand how things like beaches are changing,” Voss said.
“In academia, we see it in charts, numbers, and really scary reports that are dense with technical jargon. Not everyone is going to understand that or even be presented with opportunities to experience that information, so opportunities like this where it’s accessible to more people, are so important.”
Other artists brought a more personal feel by involving community and family members in their art, while another touched upon the effects of colonization and militarization on Hawaiʻi. Regardless of the artist, the theme of interconnectedness was seen throughout the entire gallery.
“We really need to think holistically about land and water and the whole system, so traditional Hawaiian concepts like ahupuaʻa and ‘ridge to reef’ are really valuable in terms of how we're going to redesign our communities,” Voss said.
“I know I'm only one person, but projects that allow me to work with the community and think about how we can design resilient and equitable communities are vital.”
The featured artists are Keisha Tanaka, Ben Fairfield, Gillian Duenas, and Erin Voss. Their work can be seen at Capitol Modern through the end of the month.
