Contemporary artists from Hawaiʻi will be the subject of a debut exhibition in lower Manhattan.
“Niu Systems” is a contemporary art exhibit scheduled to open on June 25 at Ryan Lee Gallery. It highlights artists who consider the coconut, both in form and function.
Among the artists featured in the exhibition are some familiar names like Kainoa Gruspe, Nanea Lum and Amber Khan.
The exhibit was organized by curator and graphic designer Jon Santos, who saw it as a way to bridge his life in Honolulu with his life in the East Coast art scene.
HPR spoke with Santos to learn more about the exhibition and to hear how he carved a niche for himself as an art dealer for local contemporary artists.
“I thought it would be really important to figure out a way to generate revenue streams for artists living and working in Hawaiʻi,” he said.
Santos told HPR that organizing the exhibit was an opportunity not only to highlight Hawaiian artists but also to learn from their craft and culture as well.
“I think what makes Hawaiʻi so unique is how far away it is from every other major mass of land … and how historically the people of these islands have been able to observe natural systems in a way and create a system of respect and responsibility,” he explained.
“I think that's what makes the expression and the artwork from this place so unique and unlike almost everything I've seen.”
The exhibition “Niu Systems” opens on Thursday, June 25, at Ryan Lee Gallery in Manhattan. More information can be found here.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 23, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
