New exhibitions around Honolulu tickle artistic senses

The local art scene continues to open up. Here are some new exhibitions around town.

Downtown Art Center (1041 Nuuanu Ave., 773-7339; downtownarthi.org) is hosting the exhibition “Out in the Elements” through July 31, featuring the work of two outdoor-related arts events. Plein Air Painters of Oahu is a group headed up by Mark Brown, who for years has been giving art classes at various sites around Oahu. Yvonne Manipon, co-chair of the group, said about 35 painters’ works will be on display.

The idea of painting outdoors derives from the French Impressionist period, when artists would go to the countryside to paint, hoping to capture the elements of nature to re-create the spirit of the moment. “Plein-air painters are actually in the wind, in the sun, with hats on. We get rained on,” Manipon said. “When we are painting, we are observing the light, and that’s what plein-air painting is all about.”

The paintings will be paired with ceramics from Raku Ho‘olaule‘a, an event conducted by Hawai‘i Craftsmen. Usually, the group usually holds an overnight camp where artists decorate their works using the raku process, which involves firing work in a metal container along with combustible items, resulting in “funny metallic colors, things you would not get in a regular electric kiln,” said Jackie Lau of ­Hawai‘i Craftsmen.

With recent camps canceled by the pandemic, ­Hawai‘i Craftsmen is exhibiting works from previous years, as well as new pieces that artists created on their own, Lau said. Another highlight will be the opportunity for visitors to try raku themselves. From now until about noon on July 17, unglazed tea bowls will be available for purchase. Visitors can glaze them, and on July 17, the tea bowls will be fired using the raku process, Lau said.

At nearby Arts at Marks Garage, (1159 Nuuanu Ave., 521-2903; artsatmarks.com), Hawaii’s original superhero is featured in “Pineapple Man &Friends,” an exhibition dedicated to local comics. Sam Campos created the character while in high school, beautifully illustrating the story of a troubled Hawaiian youth who morphs into a superhuman crimefighter armed with traditional weapons.

“He’s the only artist in Hawaii who’s been able to get into Marvel Comics,” said Kim Taylor Reece, president of the Arts at Marks, adding that it is the organization’s first show dedicated to comic art.

In an email, Campos said creating Pineapple Man opened many doors for him. He eventually got to work as an artist in Hollywood, taught at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and started a comic book art school. “Pineapple Man has been a huge blessing for me,” he said.

The work of 10 other local comic artists are also being showcased at Marks, which will host them at a meet-and-greet from 2 to 5 p.m. on July 17.

Elsewhere, the new exhibition “A’o Aku, A’o Mai: Russell Sunabe &Calvin Collins” has opened at ARS Cafe (3116 Monsarrat Ave.; ars-cafe.com). Sunabe’s influences include Native ­Hawaiian and Creole cultures. Collins’ drawings and paintings “delve into personal experiences of loss, displacement, separation, isolation, and transformation,” according to a release from the Kapiolani Community College’s Koa Gallery, which collaborated with ARS Cafe on the project.

Open at Hawai‘i Convention Center is “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience.” More than 300 of Van Gogh’s artworks have been enlarged and projected onto the walls, which “takes the art lover into a three-dimensional world that exhilarates the senses,” according to a press release. The exhibit is open daily through Aug. 15. Cost is $23-$89. For more, visit vangoghhonolulu.com.