Meet Our NATIVE illustrator: Jack Soren

Each month, CreativeMornings has a different theme for the talks given at local chapter events around the world. It is our tradition to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for each monthly theme.

Our theme for February is NATIVE. It was chosen by our Honolulu chapter and illustrated by Jack Soren.

We’re excited to share some of our favorite artworks created by Jack and get to know him a bit!

Native to Hawai'i, Jack’s body of work is inspired by the abundant life that surrounds him. By combining his roots in graffiti and his roots in Hawai'i, Jack’s work speaks to the community of indigenous peoples navigating their way through western influence and the modern world. By sharing his perspective on culture and his tropical lifestyle, Jack creates to perpetuate the values and practices of Native Hawaiians and the creative community he comes from.

Listen to how to pronounce Jack’s name.

Jack had this to share about the illustration he created for our theme NATIVE.

In Hawaii, feather cloaks and capes known as ‘ahu'ula held significant status symbols. These elaborate garments were reserved for the highest-ranking chiefs during ceremonies or battles. The cloaks, made from thousands of feathers, were particularly precious due to the scarcity of vibrant yellow feathers, sourced from the 'ō’ō and mamo birds. These birds, mostly black, shed only a few yellow feathers during molting. Catching and gathering the feathers required considerable effort, as the birds were released back into the wild after the process. Additionally, red feathers were incorporated as a symbol of chiefly greatness, with the color red holding divine associations throughout Polynesia. While on expeditions, native Hawaiians would trade these cloaks and capes for political reasons, as well as to share the Hawaiian culture as they traveled around the world. This illustration is a way for me to pay homage to my ancestors and to perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture around the world as they did in the past.

You can see more of Jack’s work on his site and follow him on Instagram @jacksoren.

Selected Works