Lewa
Water, art and more water everywhere . Never has such a complicated combination had such unique, exceptional and magical results. As soon as you see some of his works, you already know whose seal it is.
Sean Yoro, known in the world of street art as hula , is a 28-year-old from the island of Oahu in Hawaii who has conquered everyone for his way of imagining the world embodied in outdoor murals, primarily on or near water.
An element that is present in all (or almost all) projects from it, be it the ocean, a river, a waterfall, a lake or a forest. Everything counts when talking about nature.
Ku'ulei
A DECADE OF 'STREET ART'
He, along with his twin brother Kapu, He has been dedicating himself body and soul to urban art for ten years. A philosophy and lifestyle that he began as soon as he came of age and that for the moment he does not intend to abandon.
“I grew up actively surfing outdoors and started getting into art when I turned 18. At 21 I moved to New York City, the cold Atlantic was a peaceful place to connect with surfing again. The ocean has become my place of comfort wherever I travel in the world” Hula tells Traveler.es.
That is why the sea is present in most of the murals. And whenever the situation allows it, take your surfboard to get closer to the place where he is going to shape his works.
That's why some of them disappear as soon as the tide rises or they show up again at the moment it goes down. Small secrets that encompasses the sea and that are waiting to be discovered, just at the right moment. Neither before nor after. Therein lies the magic of this artist.
Series 'Olu, in Puglia
His work methodology of him? It depends on several factors. First of all, it must be taken into account the Meteorology of the enclave in which he is going to carry out urban art and the second, there is a great influence according to each project in question.
As Hula puts it, “sometimes the concept is the first thing that comes to mind and other times I find a location that inspires the concept. And on other occasions I have come across a problem or story in a community who speaks to me personally to create a series around him. From there, my team and I work together to execute the projects and document the journey along the way.”
His murals can be found scattered throughout the world. Traveling has become his lifestyle and Hula does not waste the opportunity to leave his mark wherever he goes.
Although it is known that he has painted in areas such as Antarctica or Puglia (Italy), the artist normally unable to disclose exact location of his work for legal reasons.
But do not spread panic, his brother Kapu is in charge of capturing and documenting the entire process in video or photographic format. Thanks to him, we are witnesses from start to finish of this fabulous connection with nature that leaves snapshots as special as these.
Nahi Series Mural
HULA AND KAPU, THE PERFECT COMBINATION
Hula is innovative, persistent and explorer; while Kapu is visionary, perfectionist and original. The perfect tandem from which they arise sustainable, demanding and amazingly beautiful projects.
Hula puts the idea on the canvas and his brother captures it. “It's great to work together. Of course, at the beginning, there are always problems when you collaborate with someone who is close and being able to have an efficient business relationship is always difficult," says Hula.
"Over the many years of perfecting our workflow, we've become much better at separating our business lives from the lives of brothers. On top of that, Being twins has made it so much easier to make creative decisions together, as we usually have the same vision from the start." she indicates.
ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE
His creations are not random. Each of them has a struggle behind, linked mainly to sustainability and nature, with which it is intended to make people aware that we must take care of this important world in which we live.
Because otherwise, in the end, everything we know, as we know it, will end up disappearing. It is because of that this vindication arrives in the form of urban art.
“With every project there is a specific message or goal in mind. The scope of my work in general would be create a dialogue and awareness about current environmental or social problems. I try to find new perspectives to tell unique stories through art”, reveals Hula.
deep seads It is his latest staging, probably one of the most difficult creations of his entire career. Launched globally just a few months ago, this time Hula has painted an underwater mural located at the bottom of the ocean.
“The goal was to create awareness and dialogue about the problems of our reefs dying globally. The murals were created on artificial reefs that could support marine life and growth over the years,” she indicates.
Without a doubt, one of her most ambitious projects for the great physical preparation that it takes to do something of this magnitude. More than a year was the time Hula needed to prepare for this job.
Breathing, constancy and precision were essential in this practice of underwater art. The result you can judge for yourself, simply wonderful.
Deep Seads, the artist's most ambitious project
WOMEN AS MOTHER NATURE
If, among all of them, he had to choose a favorite work or the one in which he was most moved, he would choose without thinking about it, for the classic series he did in 2015 called A'o Ana.
With his surfboard he painted women on the icebergs of the Arctic, with the intention of “raising awareness about melting ice and rising temperatures. It was tough dealing with the sub-zero weather and being out on the water with the huge ice sheets, but it was still worth it.”
In this and in the rest of his works of urban art, women take on a special role. A strong, mysterious, powerful and mystical woman that she fights unstoppably to stay and endure in that place as long as possible.
“When working in nature, it's natural to use women as subjects. Almost the classic cliché of Mother Nature in which I love the balance of beauty and mystery that the overall aesthetic has with each different setting,” he says.
Maka'u series
WORKS THAT ARE DESTINED TO DISAPPEAR
But no matter how impassive these actions are over time, the reality is quite different.
Being fused with the elements of nature and being made with biodegradable materials, sooner or later evolution and meteorological phenomena will end up leaving their mark and will end up eliminating all traces of urban art.
Hey
A fact that at first overwhelmed Hula, but that in the end he has ended up getting used to it.
“At the beginning of my career, I did my best to make my mural permanent. Unfortunately, when working with nature it's impossible, so little by little I started to accept it", he comments.
"Once I let go of the permanent aspect, I realized that it felt free to know that my artwork would have this temporary life and in this way I was also forced to be in the moment to capture the fleeting moments." , remember this street art artist. Ephemeral projects but that will be remembered forever.
Ho'i Mai
THE IMPORTANCE OF STREET ART
There are people who do not consider this practice of creating in outdoor urban spaces.
But far from reality, the Street art today has the power to become a whole flow of inspiration and direct influence on cultures and society in general.
It is created around people, where they often pass by in their daily lives. No need to go to a museum you can see a real work of art around the corner or in a large building while walking to work.
In this way, there are hundreds of variations to express the artist's vision and give the viewer a new vision of his work, his perspectives and his way of seeing the world. Especially when it comes to educating people.
It is not a question of underestimating museums or closed spaces destined for the exhibition of works, but rather it must be consider everything within the same core, diverse but ultimately artistic.
“The successful street artist can connect with these communities in a way that gallery art cannot,” says Hula. And how right you are...
Luana