Edwin Ushiro is a visual artist who captures the essence of Hawaii, youth, and nostalgia in his work with a technique that’s uniquely his own. His work resonates with the echoes of his boyhood in the “slow town” of Wailuku on the Hawaiian island of Maui. In his paintings, he recalls the sun-struck days of youth, when the world was fresh and magical, but also explores the eerie folklore indigenous to dark country roads and the boundless depths of the childhood imagination. While structuring his work around the narrative tradition of “talk story” native to the Hawaiian islands, he interweaves the uncanny obake tales of his Japanese heritage. Working in a unique mixed media technique which involves laboring in ink and acrylic over sheets of Lucite printed with assemblages of his more traditional drawings and paintings, he creates reflections on the past that are luminous and nostalgic, like cherished memories burnished by the passage of time.

Learn from Edwin how to make a ghostly mask to connect with your history in this interactive workshop, designed to spark creativity in the middle of your day. 

This workshop is part of a new series of free, lunchtime art workshops that you can do with the supplies you have at home called Art Break. Art Break is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs.

RSVPs are required using the form below. You will be emailed links and instructions to join our conversation on Zoom. Please confirm that the email that you register with is the best way to reach you. Contact publicprograms@janm.org if you have any additional questions or specific access concerns.

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