LIHU‘E – A new exhibit is at it again at Galerie 103, and as always, what is shown isn’t anything usual.
“Fish Out Of Water” opened Aug. 11 and runs until Oct. 13. Internationally-acclaimed artists Bruna Stude and Wayne Zebzda paired up for an impassioned happening that is dealing with the ocean up to one’s gills.
Stude’s large format platinum/palladium prints from her Empty Ocean series aptly commingles with Zebzda’s small-scale drawings, paintings and sculptures of boxfish. Beyond the seemingly paradoxical combination of original works lies a symmetrical truth that flushes out any indolent conception about the state of our island today.
Hawai‘i’s seashore is not what it used to be. Most places are littered and poisoned by irresponsible beings. It is up to those endowed with a higher conscience to determine the future of our unique environment before it is too late.
Both artists’ engagement in a world wherein degradation happens before our very eyes at a pace past our grasp is exhilarating. As for the show’s witty title, it gives us hope by reminding us that playfulness does not have to be excluded when addressing serious issues. Indeed, that is exactly what might appeal to the gallery’s visitors.
“For over two decades I photographed marine life,” said Stude in a statement referring to her Empty Ocean series. “I created intimate portraits of fish, sharks and corals. But today, when I photograph in the ocean, I often find void and damage instead; footprints where we humans shouldn’t have left any. That is why I photograph these beautiful but empty oceans.”
As for Zebzda’s point of view, it borders on banter: “Almost everything here on Kaua‘i gets shipped to us, often in a box. Goods are transported by airplane or boat and then delivered to your local market and your doorstep. They leave behind their packaging, like cardboard carcasses. I started to recycle these into a very simplified version of Hawaiian boxfish. The shape of the actual Hawaiian boxfish is so unusual: Strange, blocky and puffed up yet gracefully maneuvering in the water. Its spotted surface is beautiful.”
In the context of the show, while Zebzda’s boxfish installation mounted on the stark white wall remains lighthearted, it takes on a whole new connotation as a part of the exhibit. Since most of the artwork is contemporary or modern with a focus on environmental issues, the photographs, sculpture, paintings and drawings all detain a particular trait of our inherent involvement in the swirls of our time.
Stude and Zebzda have applied themselves to bringing about environmental concerns amidst a disturbing economic world order that is turning artists into yet another endangered minority. So go experience something different while supporting those creative minds trying to make a difference. It’s fun, friendly and free, it’s Galerie 103.
Galerie 103 is located at Kukui‘ula Village, 2829 Kalanikaumaka Rd. in Koloa. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.
Call (808)742-0103 for more information.
