Though Pow Wow Hawaii is a mural festival, it is not just for street artists. James Jean (Hi-Fructose Vol. 30 cover artist) — who already wears multiple hats as a painter, illustrator and designer — created his first ever hand-painted mural for the event. Delicately rendered with spray paint for the skeleton and brushes for the details, the piece (which Jean still referred to as a drawing out of habit) depicts a delicate, nymph-like character emerging from baroque adornments of ribbons and leaves.
While Jean usually works on a much smaller scale, he said that he was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he completed the piece and the freedom he was allotted to make wide, sweeping gestures on the wall. “This character is emerging from the Earth, or being consumed by it, and that’s sort of what I think of Hawaii,” said Jean when asked about the subject of his new work. “Hawaii is created by volcanos and it’s a turbulent area. I wanted the drawing to reflect how the land is always shifting and shaking.” Pow Wow Hawaii continues through February 15, so keep checking for Instagram updates and more coverage coming up here on Hi-Fructose.
