Out of Darkness, was born the light
2020
Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum
Kahaluʻu, Hawaiʻi
Artworks shown are selected from works submitted by the artist in their grant or residency application. All works are copyright of the artist or artist’s estate.
About Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum
Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum is a Hawaiian artist who lives and works in Hawaiʻi. He is an active cultural practitioner and mural artist sourcing his inspiration from the many stories and teachings of his ancestors and their relevance in today's drastically changing Hawaiʻi. Cory is fascinated with the masterful, bold, and powerful visual forms and patterns developed by the original people of Hawaiʻi. He is best known for his iconic, large-scale paintings on a wide range of surfaces from rusted metal to moss covered concrete to an invasive Albezia tree. With the surfaces he chooses as his canvas, he hopes to encourage the viewer to question the current state of urbanization and its effect on the health of the land and the people of Hawaiʻi. Cory has worked on numerous large-scale community murals as well as participated in multiple artist residencies and international mural festivals throughout the Pacific.
Program Participation
Painters & Sculptors Grant, 2020
Website / Social Links
As a young man, at age 19, I began to paint public art on the streets of Honolulu. It was such an exciting way to begin my journey as an artist. Street art gave me voice to express freely to the masses. It was such a powerful form of communication, and part of the beauty of this art was that the viewer never knew who the artist was and the artist (myself) would never know the viewers.”
