Page 24 - MidWeek - July 6, 2022

24 MIDWEEK JULY 6, 2022
R-E-S-I-L-I-E-N-T! Yes, all five artists in this article are some of the most resilient people in Honolulu. They either have lived or are still living on the streets, and yet are able to cre- ate truly amazing works of art.
They’re ‘Houseless’ And Happily Artistic
By MaryAnne Long
(Clockwise from top) Dwayne Valdez created 3D artwork made of foam and modeling paste to highlight areas Valdez has lived on the streets of O‘ahu. PHOTO COURTESY MARYANNE LONG; Ben Yim’s lei palapala is made from discarded edge strips from dot-matrix printer paper. PHOTO COURTESY NOE TANIGAWA; Street poet Royce presented “The Heart of Chinatown” and other works back on June 30, and those who missed it can listen to her story here, bit.ly/3HevGfb. PHOTO COURTESY NOE TANIGAWA; Dal Soon Kim, aka Miss Yu, sorts and sizes mangrove stalks for artistic arrangements in repurposed plastic bottle containers. PHOTO COURTESY MARYANNE LONG
Showcasing their stories at Arts & Letters Nu‘uanu are Noe Tanigawa, a former re- porter for Hawai‘i Public Ra- dio, and gallery manager Josh Tengan. As curators, they have put together an exhibition ti- tled Where I Live: Houseless in Honolulu, featuring the works of five Honolulu art- ists whose pieces are a testa- ment to resilience and creativ- ity.
Says Tanigawa, “Today, housing in Hawaiʻi is more challenging than ever. The reality of safe shelter on a very expensive island with limited resources involves all of us. This exhibition is about opening connections between people who are housed and those who are not. On the street, there are drugs, vio- lence, stealing and sex. But, there is also resilience, friend- ship and deep connection. Many struggle successfully into permanent shelter.”
Dal Soon Kim, aka Miss Yu, lives on Sand Island. She utilizes sand, shells, coral and flora to create intricate landscapes. She’s also an ur- ban gardener, and some of her plantings remain from her time spent at Kaka‘ako Makai Gateway Park.
permanent shelter in the Ward area. He reflects on 15 years of experience as a lei maker for the King Kamehameha Day pā‘ū rider units in the creation of elegant paper lei, made from discarded edge strips from dot-matrix printer paper.
Where I Live: Houseless in Honolulu is being staged at Arts & Letters Nu‘uanu, 1164 Nu‘uanu Ave., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesdays-Saturdays through July 23. An opening event is set for 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 8, and will feature conversa- tions, a talk-story, music and a poetry reading.
MaryAnne Long is an artist, art instructor, art collector and curator. Find her at malong@ hawaii.rr.com or longlostart. weebly.com.
This show invites the pub- lic to look closely to see five individuals who have lived without shelter as artists with insights to share.
Aura Reyes formerly lived on the streets of Kaka‘ako, but has now found housing. Her painting of feelings relat- ed to houselessness appeared recently in Honolulu Museum of Arts’ Artists of Hawai‘i ex- hibit. It is on view with a 3D model depicting a houseless community. She is now a for- midable advocate for afford- able housing options.
Royce (no last name giv- en) is a 62-year-old woman who has lived on the streets of Chinatown since 2000. She is a poet documenting the raw reality of living in a wheel- chair, part of the flow of life in the River Street area.
Dwayne Valdez, an experi- enced sculptor and theatrical fabricator, once lived on the streets of Waikīkī. He created a massive 3D artwork made of foam and modeling paste to highlight places he has lived on O‘ahu.
“The river runs through me,” says Royce. “I love the spirit of this place; it’s magical.”
Ben Yim remains without