Kahilu Exhibits, at Kahilu Theatre, will present a solo exhibition of recent works by local multimedia artist and photographer Patricia Uehara this summer.
Uehara’s exhibition, “…perceptions…,” opens with a public reception on June 23 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. This exhibition will feature artwork that combines the artist’s training as a painter with her deep connection to sewing in Kahilu Theatre’s Hamakua Gallery. …perceptions… will be on view through Aug. 16.
Uehara has always been entranced with the stories and emotions evoked by the human form. In her exhibition, Uehara has embedded photographic images of people into fabric compositions that use found objects like sleeping bags and her grandmother’s kimono. By stitching these images and objects together, Uehara investigates current humanitarian crises like homelessness as well as the history of her family’s migration from Okinawa to Hawaii in the early 1900’s.
“Formally trained in drawing and painting, I have reached back into my experiences growing up sewing and creating with fabric and thread,” the artist explains. Through her process, she looks to share her perceptions of the experiences of others, both close to her or observed from a distance.
Uehara was born and raised in Honolulu, the granddaughter of Okinawan immigrants. She received a bachelor’s degree n fine arts (painting and drawing) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1975. Uehara and her husband relocated to Hawaii Island where they raised two daughters and she embarked on a career in elementary education. Now retired from teaching, Uehara has dedicated herself to creating art full time. This is her first solo exhibition. She lives and works in Kealakekua.
“I have always been entranced with the human form and the narrative and emotion involved when viewing a work of art. It comes with a kind of curiosity about the stories, ideas and the process of creativity. So, it is with ideas and my perceptions of these ideas, that I have taken this road,” said Uehara