Maui Ocean Center is delighted to collaborate with MOC Marine Institute and The Nature Conservancy to welcome artist-in-residence, Jana Ireijo from April 12 through 28, 2021. Ms. Ireijo will be creating an exclusive mural vanishing mural at the Nalu Lawn, where guests are welcome to watch her art come to life during park hours.
Hawai‘i-born artist Jana Ireijo creates ephemeral “vanishing” murals that illustrate the impacts of climate change on vulnerable species and habitats to raise awareness and inspire action. Displayed outdoors, the murals vanish over time at the mercy of the elements. This mural is commissioned by The Nature Conservancy and features iconic Hawai‘i marine life to simulate the coral bleaching that is happening along our shores.
"My mission with these temporary murals is to raise awareness, and also to create links to funds for endangered species and the environment. I hope they inspire in the viewer a sense of urgency to take action, the knowledge that one person can make a difference, and the conviction that we are all in this together.”
Jana Ireijo was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i. After receiving a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, she moved to NYC to obtain an MFA in Painting from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York (where she won the Outstanding Graduate Student award in 1999). Jana is the founder of the artist collective, Mural Ethos: Vanishing Murals. Mural Ethos creates ephemeral “vanishing” murals that illustrate the effects of the environment due to climate change. The primary medium used is charcoal (picked up and sent by close friends hiking to the sites) from the Australia and California bushfires. The murals are temporary and return to earth with the elements.
Jana’s murals and paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. One of the highlights of her career was recently being curated by Judy Chicago into the Turner Carroll Gallery’s “Solstice: Create Art for Earth” exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Jana currently lives and works in Westport, Connecticut with her two teenage sons. She returns to Maui, Hawai`i annually to visit her family and looks forward to being able to visit and work in her studio in the Northern Beaches, NSW, Australia once the country opens up again.
For further information, visit: https://www.janaireijoart.com/
Immerse Yourself in our SEA-News featuring Hawaiʻi’s marine life, inspirational conservation, and glimpses behind-the-scenes.
