Artist Bio:
Alina Kawai is a visual artist born in Hyōgo, Japan. In 2021 she received an MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 2016 received her BFA from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, emphasizing painting. Being born in Japan has played an essential role in how Alina negotiates her work. The paintings use a mixture of non-representational imagery and monyō. The monyō (Japanese symbols/patterns) signify nature and suggest the seasons change. The passing of time is a reminder of family, different homes, and cultural customs, some of which she still recalls, while others have been forgotten. The paintings focus on color, form, and symbols, which inquire about how one is connected to a broader culture while forming a reflective quiet space. Kawai has co-curated a virtual exhibition, Why Are You Painting? At the Honolulu Museum of Art in 2020. Additionally, her painting is in the permanent collection of the Hawai‘i State Art Museum and Ke Kilohana Building in Hawai‘i.
