Page 6 - MidWeek Windward - Aug 18 2021

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AUGUST 18, 2021
With his faithful dog Pele always there to support him, Saumo Puapuaga breathes art and dreams art from sun- rise to sunset, either en plein air or from his home/studio in Hau‘ula. His fierce dedication to painting is catapulting him to reach new heights.
BY MARYANNE LONG
Saumolia Puapuaga: Rooted in Culture and Art
Cotton Candy Horizon by Saumolia Puapuaga PHOTO COURTESY MARYANNE LONG
tor and curator. Reach her at malong@hawaii.rr.com or longlostart.weebly.com.
He grew up in Hawai‘i and graduated from University of Hawai‘i with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2012.
Puapuaga describes his art as a freestyle of thoughts, memories and emotions lay- ered by shapes, colors and patterns — all reminiscent of, and rooted in, traditional de-
In his artist statement, he explains, “My paintings re- flect an evolvement and range of who I am, of my coming- of-age as a first-generation Samoan-American. They are
Those who have seen his recent pieces can attest to the influence of nature, its pat- terns and colors, on his art.
Connect with Puapuaga via his website (artybysaumolia. com); on Facebook (@ArtBy- Saumolia); and on Instagram: (@artbysaumolia).
After graduation, he moved to Oklahoma City, where he exhibited his artistry at every given opportunity. Five years later, he returned home to O‘ahu to be closer to his fam- ily, as well as to pursue his art career throughout the Pacific.
signs and motifs inspired by his Samoan heritage. Images of his culture, whether the focal point or a subtle mark- ing, are evident in almost every work. Portraits of fam- ily members demonstrate his strong family ties.
personal, abstract, and pas- sionately tell the story of my triumphs, heartbreaks and love. With all my art, I ap- proach the blank canvas as a method of self-therapy, a very liberating and important pro- cess of my work.”
his new sunset series, in Kai- lua, Aug. 20-Oct. 10, at Café Kopi, 45 Kīhāpai St. (The opening reception will he held as a part of Kailua Night Market, 5-9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20.)
You can see Puapuaga’s work in person, especially
MaryAnne Long is an art- ist, art instructor, art collec-
A loha surfers and beachgoers! Wow, lots going on in the surf and surfing world. First off, the waves are pumping for our southern shores as the second half of the August forecast gets a big boost and even the North Shore gets pumped from plenty storms out to our west. We weren’t doing too good surf-size-wise,
Get Ready For Some Surf; OceanFest Cancelled
BY GARY KEWLEY
so this is nice! Check surf- newsnetwork.com for details. The world championship
was in 2006 when Andy Irons rode to victory. Many claim this was one of the best waves they’ve ever seen in a world championship tour event. Best of luck to all the men and women (especially Carissa Moore). I’ll have results post- ed on snnhawaii.com. In case you did not hear, John John
Florence pulled out of the last few events to heal his torn ACL. My guess is he’d have at least three titles by now if not for his bad luck.
***
Duke’s Oceanfest, which was slated for later this month, has been cancelled. This is
a unique year, with surfing in the Olympics for the first time, plus, having Hawaiʻi’s Carissa Moore win the Olym- pic gold. Can you imagine Duke Kahanamoku’s smile?
his dream to share aloha and surfing with the world. It’s a beautiful thing.
tour kicked off again in Mex- ico at Barra de la Cruz for the Corona Open.
Thank you for sharing your time with me here in MidWeek’s Windward Oʻahu Voice!
This perfect sandbar right- hander is one of the best waves south of the border. It sits south of Acapulco and far north of Nicaragua. The last time they ran a contest here
The Olympic gold medalist brought surfing to the world at large. Then, our recent summer Olympics solidified
GQ, droppin’ in 4U!
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
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