Wall mural serves as inspiration for youth

LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i High School senior Trysen Kaneshige likes to draw.

He also likes to play soccer and was a key utility player with the Kaua‘i High School boys soccer team.

But midway through the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation soccer season, Kaneshige suffered a concussion, relegating him to the bench for the remainder of the season.

“I spent most of that time painting,” the soft-spoken senior said. “The time I spent painting leaned me toward painting as a senior project.”

Kaneshige’s love for painting resulted in one of the biggest and largest senior projects to date, said Leah Aiwohi, a senior project advisor.

“Trysen spoke with all kinds of people, including principal Debbie Lindsey, William Arakaki, the Kaua‘i Area Complex superintendent, the state’s Department of Accounting and General Services, and Carol Yotsuda, a former art teacher at Kaua‘i High School,” Aiwohi said. “His mentors, artists East3 and Ras, are here working with him, and now, this is like a dream come true for him.”

Nathan Aiwohi, Leah’s husband and the principal at Kapa‘a Middle School, said the project ties in with the Spray Away Meth aerosol art workshop, which takes place today and Friday at the school’s old basketball court.

“The workshops are yet another opportunity for young people to express themselves through art,” Kaneshige said. “It started with Mrs. Lindsey’s idea on dreams.”

Kaneshige’s project, originally centering around drawing, gained momentum and scope, Nathan said.

“Originally, he wanted only a small portion of a wall to do his mural, but when he walked the campus with Mrs. Lindsey, she told him she wanted a whole wall done,” Nathan said. “I know I’m supposed to support Kapa‘a students, but every student needs support and Kaneshige’s project definitely needs to have him properly credited.”

Leah said as the pieces of the project fell into place, Kaneshige applied for a Aloha Ike grant administered by the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board to help pay for the workshops for the youth as well as help with the costs of shipping materials to Kaua‘i.

“He did all the work,” Leah said. “I looked it over and offered him suggestions on fine tuning, but he did all the work.”

Combining with The Hawai‘i Meth Project, Kaneshige coordinated the two-day workshop featuring his mentors, artists East3 and Ras, who flew in from Las Vegas for the project.

“My mom grew up in Makawao, Maui,” Ras said. “East3 is one of the partners I work with, and we always talked of coming back. Having the opportunity to help TK and Mace was the door I needed to get back here.”

Colby Takeda of The Hawai‘i Meth Project said the work was done through the Kaua‘i Advisory Board, which includes students from Kapa‘a, Waimea and Kaua‘i high schools. He arrived early in the week to help pull together the workshops.

“We have about a hundred students already registered for the workshop,” Takeda said. “It’s free for any middle or high school student. They need to bring the parent waiver form, properly signed to participate.”

Students can download the waiver by emailing their name, school, grade and phone number to sprayawaymeth2013@hotmail.com.During the free workshop, which runs from noon to 3 p.m., today and Friday, students will create their own murals centered on anti-Meth themes and messages. Murals will be displayed at schools around the island as an island-wide effort to raise awareness about the dangers of meth.

Kaneshige said after graduating from Kaua‘i High School, he hopes to pursue more education in drawing and design.He said he is looking at possibly attending the Art Institute of San Diego, although he has been accepted at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon for architecture as well as several universities and colleges in Washington.

“I have several places to choose from,” Kaneshige said. “There are opportunities.”

• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.