Faculty Exhibition Series Part 3
January 8 – February 4, 2024
THE COMMONS GALLERY, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The Commons Gallery, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is pleased to present its Faculty Exhibition Series Part 3, a platform showcasing the exceptional creativity of artist educators. This exhibition challenges norms through diverse approaches to contemporary art and social commentary. The exhibit features video performances, photography, painting, metal fabrication, and ceramic sculpture. Color is key whether it is pink which can read as both tropical and artificial, or the deepest black suggesting an absence of light, but in fact containing all the colors. Some of the works examine gender, identity, and a sense of place often through humor and unexpected juxtapositions.
Artists
Jenna Macy, Juvana Soliven, Kalani Largusa, Kelly Ciurej, and Kirsten Rae Simonsen.
Curated by Sheika Alghezawi
Artist Bios
Jenna Macy (b. 1993, Honolulu, HI) is an interdisciplinary artist and educator specializing in interactive ceramics, sculpture, and video performance with research-based practices. Jenna Macy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Maryland Institute College of Art (2016) and a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2021). They have garnered recognition for their work, including "Best in Show" at the Artists of Hawaiʻi (2023) and the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition (2021). Jenna Macy received the Windgate Fellowship (2016) and the Career Advancement Fellowship (2022) from the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design. They have showcased their work nationally and internationally in exhibitions and performances in Honolulu, Baltimore, and Sydney, Australia. Jenna Macy is a lecturer in Ceramics and Sculpture as well as Expanded Practices.
Juvana Soliven is a visual artist and educator hailing from Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Juvana Soliven’s art challenges and utilizes object languages to address issues concerning intimacy, labor, bodily autonomy, and women’s positionality within patriarchal systems. Juvana Soliven completed a Master of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2016, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2013, and studied Art Restoration and Conservation at Lorenzo de’ Medici International School in Florence, Italy in 2012. Her work is featured in collections such as the Cranbrook Art Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, and Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, in addition to private collections. Juvana Soliven has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally, including in the Netherlands, Germany, Iceland, and Japan. Juvana Solivan is a lecturer in Metals and Glass, as well as Sculpture and Expanded Practices.
Kalani Largusa is a Hawaiʻi-based artist raised in Kapahi, Kaua’i. He divides his time between painting on his home island and working out of his studio on O’ahu. His artwork reflects a narrative of self-discovery and introspection, capturing the essence of his life experiences. Kalani Largusa’s paintings explore the intricacies of paint through varying surface textures, liquid applications, and transparent allusions, serving as a canvas for personal growth and learning. His dedication to painting and exploration reveals the endless possibilities of perseverance, offering unforeseen rewards. Kalani Largusa’s art embodies a journey of self-discovery and continual evolution. Kalani Largusa is a lecturer in Drawing and Painting.
Kelly Ciurej is a visual artist showcased in national solo and group exhibitions, including venues such as the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Shockboxx Gallery in Los Angeles, and BOX13 Artspace in Houston, TX, among others. Kelly Ciurej earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2017 and presently resides and creates in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Kelly Ciurej is a lecturer in Photography.
Kirsten Rae Simonsen was born in Montana and spent over two decades in tropical and subtropical regions (Bali, Florida, and Hawaiʻi). After studying traditional painting in Bali, Indonesia, she earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago. Her artistic journey includes national and international exhibitions at renowned galleries like Torpedo Gallery in Alexandria, VA; Root Division in San Francisco, CA; Peter Miller Gallery in Chicago, IL; Pterodactyl Gallery in Philadelphia, PA; and the Residence Gallery in London, UK, among others. In Hawai‘i, Kirsten Rae Simonsen has participated in numerous group and solo shows, showcasing her work at venues like the Honolulu Museum of Art’s First Hawaiian Center and The Arts at Mark’s Garage. She has created site-specific drawing installations for esteemed institutions such as the Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, and the Mills Gallery at BCA, Boston, MA. Kirsten Rae Simonsen's work was featured in FreshPaint magazine in 2015, selected by Danielle Krysa (“Jealous Curator”). Additionally, Kirsten Rae Simonsen has reviewed two books by fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes for Marvels & Tales, a fairy tale journal (published 2017/2019). Presently, she imparts her knowledge in watercolor and drawing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as a lecturer in Drawing and Painting.
Reception
Date: February 4, 2024, Sunday, 2:00–4:00 PM
Location: The Commons Gallery
THE COMMONS GALLERY is located on the ground floor of The Art Building. From Dole Street, take East-West Road, turn left to Correa Road, and then turn right for the Art Building.
Sponsors
This exhibition is made possible by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Department of Art + Art History and College of Arts, Languages & Letters; supported by the Halekulani Hotel– Hospitality Sponsor for the Arts at UH Mānoa; the State Foundation for Culture and the Arts; and anonymous donors. Special thanks to The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
Hours & Admission
Tuesday–Friday, & Sunday, 12–4 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Mondays, spring break (March 17-22), and state holidays.
Free admission. Donations are appreciated.
Parking is free on Sundays. Parking fees may apply during weekdays.
For more information, please contact 808.956.6888 and gallery@hawaii.edu