Finding the Grain 2020 Abstract valley form on wood base, monkey pod and false Kamani woods 32 (l) x 12 (w) x 23 (h) in
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Born in Honolulu, Kahi Ching began drawing and painting at an early age. He was sponsored with art classes at Honolulu Academy of Arts, learning amongst adults in life drawing class. He enrolled in private studio lessons with instructor Larry Roberson, and sold his very first painting at age 11. At age 16, Ching entered his first art contest and took second place at the Industrial Arts Fair with his first attempt at copper sculpting. Ching took on any art projects that came his way during school, including set painting for the theater, working alongside Ron Bright. He was the first student to paint two large-scale murals on the walls of Castle High School. At age 17, he submitted eight images to the 53rd Annual Scholastic Art Awards competition, earning four gold keys, best portfolio at the state level, the opportunity to go to New York to compete at the national level. Kahi won a Hallmark Honor Prize for his pencil drawing entitled Curios and a scholarship to Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design in San Francisco. He also attended The School of Holography in San Francisco.
Upon his return to the Islands, Ching continued his art practice and ventured into different fields, including construction, concrete furniture, jewelry, bonsai, and sign painting — all of which have contributed to his engineering of special art projects. Facing occasional criticism for embracing so many mediums of art — painting, ceramics, and wood sculpting, just to name a few — Ching grappled within himself with the idea of conforming to the notion of conventionally focused art practice. He became conscious that creating art that comes from within himself is most meaningful to him. Ching continues to challenge himself with new mediums while attempting to master mediums familiar to him.
“I tend to be spiritual when composing a piece. I use my heart, the very essence of me, within all my work. All of how I feel, at any given time during the creative process, is expressed. I celebrate all my ancestry. As long as I am able to create completely different works of art that can touch the inner being of a person, to inspire, as I have been inspired, I will create.”
“I support the arts because it is the heart of society. Without creativity, we lack ways to think outside the box to help solve problems and to heal. Art creates love and compassion — what we need now (once again), more than ever. Hawaiʻi Contemporary brings artists from home and from around the world together, where they can exchange knowledge and reflect the aloha spirit worldwide. The spotlight is on Hawaiʻi, the piko of the world, to lead by example.”
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Finding the Grain | Kahi Ching
Item #135
$3,750- 0 bids
Minimum Bid Increment:
$250
Value:
$5,000
Available:
May 12, 2023 @ 08:00am - May 28, 2023 @ 05:00pm HST
Donated By:
Proceeds benefit the artist and Hawaiʻi Contemporary
