For pen and ink artist Kris Goto, exhibiting is like “showering naked for a bunch of people,” she told Aloha State Daily. There is a certain vulnerability that comes from having art, which reflects life, on public display.
But sharing her art with the community is exactly what Goto was doing at American Savings Bank’s Loʻi Gallery, at 300 N. Beretania St., on Thursday, June 5. For the next four months, her art is on display at the Loʻi Gallery, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit closes Sept. 12.
Goto’s work is whimsical. Larger-than-life mangos float through an ocean of fish. A woman surfs a giant spam musubi. Another parachutes from an ʻōhiʻa flower.
The exhibit focuses on seasons.
“Mangos are seriously seasonal,” Goto told ASD. “But then I wondered if certain conversations are also seasonal in a way that certain things are said in the wrong time, therefore it's misunderstood, or a certain opportunity came up to you, but because you're not in season to receive them, you miss it. … Being able to recognize the ripe moments in your life — that’s what matters.”
Artists featured in the Loʻi Gallery donate 20% of their sales from the exhibit to a local nonprofit. For Goto’s exhibit, Child & Family Service is the beneficiary.
Goto’s first art exhibition took place just a few blocks away at The Arts at Marks Garage in Chinatown. On display was a drawing of a pig, flying over trash and people.
“I didn't even know that I needed to frame my artwork, so I just gave them a piece of paper,” she said. “And then they're like: ‘OK, we're just gonna tape it on the wall, I guess.’ ”
Her artwork at the Loʻi Gallery has frames, she added.
Goto was born in Japan and originally wanted to be a manga artist. In 2006, her family moved to Hawaiʻi. After high school, she had no plans to attend college, but continued to create art. She did however, feel “lost in transitioning,” she said. Goto began to draw trees with human limbs and babies falling from the sky.
“You’re trying to find what clicks with you because you kind of lost that momentum of what you really wanted to do,” she said.
Goto also started surfing. Eventually, a friend suggested she incorporate that into her art. She did a few surf-inspired pieces. In 2014, she released her first series featuring surfers. She also learned how to make prints of her pieces that could be sold in local galleries. In 2017, she quit her job at Atlantis Adventures, to pursue art as a full-time career.
Today, Goto is also a muralist. The leap from paper to a wall required bravery.
“I believe that you really need to challenge yourself at least once a year — making yourself do things that make you feel scared and fearful and you're not really sure — but you're like: ‘I'm going to overcome this,’” Goto said.
It is moments like that, which help you build confidence, she said.
Since then, she has painted murals in Hawai’i and California, as well as Japan and France. On Oʻahu, she has vibrant murals on display at Bishop Museum, YWCA O’ahu and Target at Ala Moana Center, among other spots. In the past few years, she also painted murals at Pālama Settlement and Puʻuhale Elementary School in Kalihi.
Recently, Goto also participated in cohort 9 of Mana Up Hawai’i, which helps local entrepreneurs scale globally. The experience helped her value her own art.
“I just want to emphasize how grateful I am for the opportunities that I've been given by ASB,” she said. “I’m really grateful to have this platform to share my work, but then they really allow me to be creatively free. With a little bit of direction, I am just grateful to be able to share my work with the community that ASB has put together.”
Details. Follow her on Instagram.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
