Native Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos traces a 24-year creative journey — from remote Pacific atolls to the Hawaii State Capitol — and makes the case that art is most powerful when the community holds the brush.
In this talk, artist-in-residence at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum Solomon Enos shares the story behind the largest art installation in Hawaiʻi’s contemporary history — the Capitol Pools Commission. From sailing to uninhabited Pacific atolls to visiting Bikini Atoll and creating a graphic novel across Tahiti, Samoa, and Edinburgh, Solomon traces a creative journey rooted in one belief: that the most powerful art is made with community, not for it. Featuring reflections on legacy, collective mark-making, and the Hawaiian concept of Makai Nanna, he closes with a timeless reminder — Kūʻē me ke Aloha. Resist with love.