Edwin Ushiro
• – • Fuzz Box Productions
About the speaker
Edwin Ushiro is a Maui-born artist currently based in Southern California, whose distinctive technique captures the essence of Hawaii, youth, and nostalgia. His work echoes his childhood in Wailuku, Maui, recalling sun-drenched youthful days and the eerie folklore of dark country roads, all filtered through the boundless realm of childhood imagination. Ushiro structures his art around the Hawaiian narrative tradition of “talk story,” skillfully weaving in the uncanny obake tales of his Japanese heritage. His unique mixed media approach involves layering ink and acrylic over Lucite sheets printed with his traditional drawings and paintings, creating luminous and nostalgic reflections on the past, akin to cherished memories softened by time.
Holding a BFA with honors in Illustration from Art Center College of Design, Ushiro has worked in the entertainment industry as a storyboard artist, concept designer, and visual consultant. His work has been exhibited globally in prestigious venues such as Villa Bottini in Italy, Grand Palais in France, and the Honolulu Museum of Art. A monograph of his art, Gathering Whispers, is published by Zero+ Publishing, with an Eastern edition by Diagon Alley in Shanghai. Ushiro’s diverse clientele includes Sony, Disney, The New York Times, Sanrio, and Lady Gaga, and he currently lives and works between Los Angeles and Maui.
Local partners
Our mission is to serve Hawaii’s creative community by providing platforms for collaboration, learning, and cultural expression. Through innovative programming and transformative public art initiatives, we aim to enrich lives, revitalize communities, and inspire future generations of artists and creative thinkers.
World Wide Walls (formerly POW! WOW! Worldwide) is a global network of artists and events focusing on mural, street, and contemporary art. It originated in 2009 in Hong Kong with Founder, Jasper Wong. In 2010, POW! WOW! Hawaii was born. An annual art festival that brings together local and international artists to create vibrant murals throughout the city of Honolulu. The festival quickly gained popularity and expanded its reach to various cities around the world.
The mission is to bring art and culture to communities, foster creativity, and create positive impact through public art. The festivals not only beautify urban landscapes but also promote cultural exchange, inspire dialogue, and contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods.
Every month, ART + FLEA presents a unique monthly shopping experience for Hawaii’s talented creatives to showcase their goods and talents. Over 60 independent artists, vintage collectors, DIYers, food trucks, handmade aficionados, and fashion designers are featured at each event, drawing an eclectic crowd of shoppers, music and art lovers alike. Alongside up-and-coming bands, your favorite local DJs, and changing themes, each event remains fresh.
As the vanguard forum of international cinematic achievement in the Asia-Pacific region, Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) endeavors to recognize new and emerging talent, promote career development and original collaborations through innovative education programs, and facilitate dynamic cultural exchange through the cinema arts.
TheBrewz are a Kaka’ako-based production and songwriting collective. Having worked on over 200+ songs crossing multiple genres since their inception in 2019 including high-profile collaborations with Grammy-nominated producer and singer Kimie Miner, Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of multi-platinum Grammy-nominated band P.O.D.
Splitting time between collaborating with artists and licensing their music in large-scale advertising campaigns and major television shows, their efforts have already proven a great success in their short time together.
Creative Lab Hawaii is a State of Hawaii program composed of three separate modules: Immersive Programs, Ideation Workshops, and Public Programs. Their intention is to accelerate global export of Hawaii’s creative content and creative products to strengthen our creative entrepreneurs’ capacity for success.
Our Mission
To encourage, inspire and empower individuals in developing their creative vision by providing an environment to cultivate their skills and talents.
Our Facilities
Air conditioned live & control rooms + 4000 square feet of creative space with multiple music/audio production/film/video/photography workstations & creative lounge in the heart of Lahaina.
Our Network
Our branches grow wide and the Maui creative network runs deep. Share your ideas and let us help make your creative vision a reality.
Honolulu Coffee was founded in 1992 with one small kiosk in downtown Honolulu.
We strive daily to provide the complete Hawaiian Coffee experience. We feel that our past and future success is contingent upon maintaining and exceeding these goals.
Our Hawaiian style concept stretches throughout our cafes on three different islands and our expansion in Asia. As a result, people around the world are able to experience our great Kona coffee and outstanding customer service.
JPG Hawaii was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2000 by three Hawaii born brothers with a dream. Originally starting as a small family business, JPG Hawaii has grown into one of Hawaii’s most unique print and design B2B serviceS companies.
Through our combined expertise, we have grown our list of services to provide a wide array of
resources to your business.
We work with clients from ideas and original concepts to final products. Our team can produce your project with the quality needed to make you stand out from the competition.
JPG Hawaii can help you increase your sales, promote your products, and enhance your overall brand image to bring it all to life!
We are a Honolulu based digital marketing/creative agency. As a digital marketing agency, we take the “marketing” very seriously. Nothing is cookie-cutter and everything is tailored to our client’s needs and expectations. We are inspired by you. Your awesome is blended with our awesome — and with our powers combined; insert Captain Planet. JK. We strive to take your stellar ideas and build them into an unforgettable campaign. What’s considered an add-on service for most agencies is a basic inclusion for our clients. We take your requirements and intentions for your business vision and incorporate them into a personalized brand guide to begin any project. This becomes the first step into our epic, creative journey to tell your story in the best way possible.
We are a Native Hawaiian wahine-owned family business with a passion to serve the thriving local art community here on the islands. Located in the heart of Kaka‘ako, we feel that it is our kuleana to make fine art printing accessible for everyone. Whether you’re an established artist or an emerging creative soul, we at Ki‘ikau Printers are here to support you in your vision and help you bring your work to life!
Additional details
Doors open to the public at 8:00am beginning with music by Makena Laurion, a light breakfast, and Honolulu Coffee.
Stick around for giveaways from Spectra Foundation and more!
Location
