Shar Tuiasoa

Interview by Glenn Sakamoto

Shar Tuisoa is a talented surfer/artist born and raised on the island of Oahu in the town of Kailua. Raised in the company of art and design books (her mom studied illustration) she was predestined to become an artist. Her illustrations are modern, fun and elegant and painted with the lush colors of the Islands. We spoke with Shar to learn more.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? 

I grew up in Kailua on Oahu. I had a really great childhood. Both of my parents were really active and both of them were surfers, which I feel is a pretty typical scenario in Kailua. My mom was a swim coach for Aulea so we'd spend our week going to swim practice and spend our weekend playing at the beach. I didn't really stick with swimming as I got older, but I definitely became really obsessed with surfing (although I'm not sure the skill ever quite matched the obsession). In high school, I'd be the kid going to class with sand constantly caked in my lion mane hair, and I'd spend weekends night surfing Waikiki with my Dad and his surf Dad crew (they named themselves Kahanu Ola. I designed shirts for them just recently… it's pretty serious stuff).

What inspired you to begin creating art? 

Art was something that I grew up around. My mom went to school for illustration as well, and she actually used to bring me along with her to her classes when I was just a few years old. In fact, years later I would go on to study under her same professor for a number of years. I think being an artist is something I've wanted to be since I was a kid. I was really lucky to grow up in a household that supported that and as a kid there was always a lot of art books laying around. Anatomy books, photography and oil painting books, color theory books… I mean, I just can't think of a time when art wasn't a big part of the world my family lived in… and that's really all thanks to my mom.

Where did you go to school to learn art and design?

I started studying art more seriously in college. I first enrolled at WCC (my local community college) and I wasn't quite sure what direction I would go in with art, so I settled on a mask making class – just something to be creative. One of my classmates suggested I take some of the fine art classes with Snowden Hodges and Norm Graffam, and that's where I started on my path to taking art more seriously, and really treating art as a skill and technique to be practiced and learned. From WCC, I enrolled at Laguna College of Art and Design in Southern California, where I studied and earned my BFA in Illustration.

What is “Punky Aloha” and where did that name come from?

I get this question a lot and I wish I had a more interesting answer. I had been exploring new aesthetics and directions in my art as I was trying to stay afloat and figure out how I was gonna be a working artist in Hawaii. I was getting into a more graphic, flat style of illustration which meant I was playing around with little design badges, and playing with simple shapes and compositions, and trying to incorporate more island elements in hopes of finding some freelance gigs locally. 

I was just doodling around with designing a badge that had some skulls and some flowers, a palm tree, and Aloha in it. It came out decent enough, and my boyfriend leaned over and said," Now THAT'S dope. It's so you. It's a little bit punk rock, and a little bit local girl." And honestly, it just clicked for me. Punky Aloha just sort of rolled off the tongue and felt like a good description of my aesthetic. Maybe not so much punk, but definitely pop, modern, fun, and colorful. Really bold with Polynesian themes. And when I designed my logo, I thought having a girl with a flower in her hair would work as the Aloha part, and putting an X over her eye would give her the "punky" element.

What do you hope to create in the mind of the person viewing your art?

When someone is looking at my work, my hope is that they are transported to a really happy place. I keep my designs simple, and bright, stylized with a touch of whimsy. Sometimes my images are empowering, sometimes they are simply just a fun design using colors that make me smile. I want people to have a piece of Hawaii that is modern and bold and happy.

How does surfing and its culture have an influence on your style?

I think surfing, certainly in a design sense, has always been really simple and really… to the point. There is a really laid back lifestyle to surfing, but there is also this individualism and confidence that really appeals to me. The culture of surfing is unique, and its history is rooted in Polynesia, so navigating a way to tie in that feeling of a deep rooted native pastime to an aesthetic that is modern, bold and simple is a balance I think I'm always searching for. Whether or not Im successful in showcasing that is another discussion.

How important is it to represent the subjects in your art as people of color? 

I think representation of people of color and women of color in mainstream visual art is extremely important. I had this really oddly emotional moment the first time I watched Moana. It was the first time I had seen a Polynesian woman who looked like me in a huge mainstream arena like a Disney movie. I felt like my world and my story was being shared in a very accessible way to the masses and it was such a big moment for me. And you would think that in Hawaii, in our art scene, much of the artwork would feature beautiful, dark, thick, Polynesian women, but it wasn't as present as you would think. 

I wanted to contribute to normalizing women who looked like me, who had crazy big Polynesian hair like me, who grew up in an island culture. And so I do. And I've had so many girls approach me and say how important it was for them to see artwork that was a representation of them, of their daughters, and of their culture. Art should be more than just pretty pictures that match your furniture. It's a connection between the artist and the viewer. It's a catalyst to an inner dialogue. It should speak to you and evoke the emotions you want to feel. 

What brings you the most happiness in the world?

My family brings me the most joy. Being with my kids and my partner Kealii, having a career doing what I love, and living in Hawaii are all that I could ever want in my life. 

What “Golden Rule” do you live by?

My Golden Rule is be kind. Just be kind. Be gracious with your knowledge and be kind in your actions and your soul will be fed.

What is your current favorite board? 

My current favorite board is my 10'0” Downy Single fin. I've named it Bruce Lee since its yellow and it super reminds me of Bruce Lee's yellow bodysuit… also it kicks ass. A few years ago I had to leave my 10'0” Becker back in California ‘cause it was too big to bring home. I was crushed. That was my BABY! She was a big, bulky boat but I knew her so well and we had some incredible times together while I was living in Dana Point. I rode her all the way up to being 7 months pregnant with my son! So Bruce Lee was how I filled that void (laughs). I hadn't surfed much since having my son and starting Punky Aloha, so buying Bruce was my partner’s idea. I think he missed me dropping in on all his waves (laughs). So we found the Downy board on Craigslist, and on the way home from buying her we happened to pass by Baby Maks and there was waves so I paddled it out in my street clothes (didn't have a suit handy) and caught a few waves and fell in love all over again. 

Your favorite surf spot?

Baby Maks is probably my favorite spot right now… because of the most boring mom reason ever. It's good for mommy and keiki to surf, it's always super mellow, and the views are incredible.

Who are some of the people you feel are shaping the path for surfing culture today?

Coming from an artist perspective(and nothing but the utmost respect for the surfers), I think that the culture is being shaped by the people behind the lens. All of the filmmakers and photographers. It's their perspective that is being shared. And how they approach their image making is ultimately what gets put in front of the viewers and helps shape THEIR view of surf culture.

What's your favorite meal? 

My favorite meal is poke and poi. Best meal ever. 

What’s on your music playlist?

Thats a hard one to answer. My playlists change with my mood and my activity – and my taste is all over the place. I will say this, Rage against the Machine is great cleaning music, Portishead and Digable Planets is good painting mood music, Yellowman is fantastic driving music, Misfits and Dead Kennedys is great hang out music, and the soundtrack to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is just plain good. 

What are you most grateful for?

I'm most grateful for the life I've created for myself and I try not to take it for granted and complain too much.

What’s next for Shar Tuiasoa?

Up next for me is just continuing to expand my art and design business. I'm always taking on fun new client projects, collaborations, and designing products so I'm excited to continue with that and see where it takes me. And on the painting side of my business I've got a really fun new collection of paintings I'm working on, so I can't wait to share those! 

To learn more about Shar, follow her on Instagram @punkyaloha or visit her website.