Travis Turqueza: Kū Kanaka

Artist: Travis TurquezaTitle: Kū KanakaMedium:  Acrylic and Newsprint on CanvasSize: 12"x36" About "Kū Kanaka":  A piece dedicated to those standing up for their ancestors.  In the 1960s and 70s, Hawai'i went through a cultural Renaissance.  Native Hawaiians began standing up for and reclaiming their identity.  During one of the many protests of the era, a march to 'Iolani Palace was planned and led by 3 masked figures, their arms crossed in defiance as a sign of contempt.  In 2015 they gathered once again with their descendants and once again stood defiantly for Hawai'i.  This time they stood up for their sacred spaces on Mauna Kea. Bio:  Born in Hawai’i, raised both on Lāna’i and in California, Travis Turqueza is a multimedia artist, part time teacher/farmer, and full time creator. Art has always been part of his life--he is inspired by artists like Herb Kane, Solomon Enos and Rocky Jensen, and Frank Frazetta--and a love and appreciation of Hawai’i, its culture and history. "No matt