KAPA‘A — Graffiti? Art? Neither? Ken “East-3” Nishimura labels himself a “writer.” The O‘ahu painter was creating a piece Sunday inspired by the recent disaster in Japan. His canvas was a wall on a “community-based creative center” opening this summer
KAPA‘A — Graffiti? Art? Neither? Ken “East-3” Nishimura labels himself a “writer.”
The O‘ahu painter was creating a piece Sunday inspired by the recent disaster in Japan. His canvas was a wall on a “community-based creative center” opening this summer in Kapa‘a.
“I don’t want to make a cent for myself,” he said, pausing between flits of aerosol paint onto the developing mural.
“When this is done, a high-resolution photo will be taken, transferred onto canvas, and marketed and sold by a Los Angeles, Calif., firm,” Nishimura said.
“All, not a portion, of the proceeds from the sale of this will go directly to help the people of Japan.”
Nishimura, who was born in San Francisco and raised in Honolulu, says on his website that he started painting at the age of 14 — more than 25 years ago.
The “East” part of his pen name is inspired by Asians coming from the Eastern Hemisphere.
He created it to bring awareness and recognition to Asians involved in hip hop. The number “3” part of his name is in honor of a high school friend and fellow crew member, Triad3. This evolved into Nishimura’s writing name through T3=EAS T3.
One of his forms of painting utilizes the beauty and connectivity of letters, which is described in hip-hop culture as “writing.”
“This mural is about ‘awareness,’” Nishimura said. “You need to stand back to see the letters and the word.”
His mural in Kapa‘a includes the words “healing,” “soul” and “love” inside “Japan.”
At 3 p.m., Saturday, he started with the first sketches, finishing at 8:30 p.m. He returned Sunday to continue working.
Nishimura came to Kaua‘i during a series on suicides, vowing to do what he could to prevent these tragedies.
“It’s all about the young people,” he said. “I try to let them see the positives.”
It was during these trips to Kaua‘i where he met up with Kate Silliman of Me, Myself and I Kaua‘i: A Creative Mecca, located on Kukui Street in Kapa‘a.
“He painted the front of the building,” Silliman said. “We’re planning to open during the summer with a community-based creative center for both kids and adults.”
She said the building done in the unique styling of East-3 affords the community with a venue to express themselves in the performance and visual arts.
“People need to realize where they are,” Nishimura said.
“The kalo on the front symbolizes the island, and when I was working on them, people passing in cars would honk their horns and others on the sidewalk would stop to watch. This says a lot about them knowing where they are. They need to take care of this place.”
This plays a role in the developing mural, which when completed, will be framed in light blue with cherry blossoms and a pair of circling koi, East-3 said.
“When Me, Myself and I Kaua‘i opens, I’ll be offering free workshops,” said Nishimura, who was recently recognized for painting the “floating” mural inside the new Kaua‘i Police Activities League Youth Center located on the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital grounds.
The connectivity is apparent, said Nishimura, whose credentials include doing presentations at Cornell University.
“You must have the same respect for learning about hip-hop culture as you would for any culture such as the Hawaiian culture, or the hula,” he states on his website. “Hip hop is not a trend or fad, it’s a culture. You can’t disrespect trends or fads, but you can disrespect a culture.”
Visit www.east-3.com, or www.memyselfandimecca.com for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
