Sonny Ganaden
b. 1981, Stockton; lives and works in Honolulu
state seal, remix
2023
Relief print
10 x 10 in
"The state seal rips off the crest of the Hawaiian kingdom in a classic example of colonial erasure. I see it everyday.
As a gift to my fellow state workers, I remade the seal, exchanging the haole lady liberty with a beloved statue of the Queen, the Phoenix (representing the rebirth of democracy in the ashes of the kingdom) with a chill nene goose, and the date of statehood with the date of the constitutional convention when the Islands’ government began to reconcile its past.
If we are going to be state workers, let us shape this place to represent the gorgeous diversity of our communities."
Sonny Ganaden is an artist, lawyer, writer, Hawaiʻi State House Representative, and former Honolulu Biennial Foundation board of director. He is an advocate for human rights and environmental preservation.
state seal, remix
2023
Relief print
10 x 10 in
"The state seal rips off the crest of the Hawaiian kingdom in a classic example of colonial erasure. I see it everyday.
As a gift to my fellow state workers, I remade the seal, exchanging the haole lady liberty with a beloved statue of the Queen, the Phoenix (representing the rebirth of democracy in the ashes of the kingdom) with a chill nene goose, and the date of statehood with the date of the constitutional convention when the Islands’ government began to reconcile its past.
If we are going to be state workers, let us shape this place to represent the gorgeous diversity of our communities."
Sonny Ganaden is an artist, lawyer, writer, Hawaiʻi State House Representative, and former Honolulu Biennial Foundation board of director. He is an advocate for human rights and environmental preservation.
“The conversations that happen in contemporary arts communities; about whose rights matter, the relevance of history, where our culture is compared to where it should be, beauty; are the sorts of conversations I wish we had more often in politics.
As a printmaker, I tell stories I find difficult to express in the other jobs. I’m proud to have served this organization when it was in formation years ago, and treasure the friendships I’ve made with artists, curators, academics, and patrons from around the world. ”
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$125 - 2 bids
Minimum Bid Increment:
$25
Value:
$250
Available:
May 12, 2023 @ 08:00am -
May 28, 2023 @ 05:00pm
HST
Donated By:
Proceeds benefit the artist and Hawaiʻi Contemporary