Kalani Largusa is a local Hawaii artist from Kapahi, Kaua’i. He divides his time between painting on his home island and working out of his studio on O’ahu. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Hawaii in the spring of 2016. Kalani previously studied drawing and illustration at the California College of Arts [CCA] and received his Bachelor of Fine Art in painting studio practice from the School of Art Institute of Chicago [SAIC] in 2013.

 

Kalani’s work centers on the process of painting filtered through Polynesian tattoo symbolism and methodology, and ‘almost western’ comic book iconography. Whether he is invested in sharp detailed draftsmanship within his intimate mixed-media journals, or large abstract paintings, his work is ultimately an investigation of marks and time. With endless curiosity Kalani Largusa approaches painting as an ongoing investigation into current day mark-making, time, and the dynamic, interconnected occurrences of himself, ourselves and our broader world. The work speaks to a number of discussions active in relation to contemporary painting today.