POW! WOW! is an international artist collective which hosts mural festivals globally throughout the year. It’s largest and most significant festival takes place yearly during Valentine’s Day week in the Kaka’ako neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. This year’s POW! WOW! HAWAII! featured over 80 local and international artists painting murals throughout the week.
As well as mural painting, POW! WOW! HAWAII! 2019 featured a block party alongside the Honolulu Night Market, a group exhibition curated by Thinkspace Projects, artist talks, a group exhibition dedicated to the films of Hiyao Miyazaki curated by Spoke Art, film screenings, indoor soccer matches with Hawaii’s Kicks to the Pitch and Paradise Soccer Club, break dancing battles with the endless Summer Jam, as wel as a BAMP concert with Eminem at the Aloha Stadium.
Artists this year included (those above): Lauren YS x ONEQ, Joao Ruas, Michael Reeder, Amy Sol, Shepard Fairey, Crash, Roamcouch, Caratoes x Apexer and How Nosm plus artists such as Logan Hicks, Kevin Lyons, Woes, Mayonaize, OG Slick, Drew Young, Aaron de la Cruz and many others.
As a personal side note - I’ve been lucky enough to attend POW! WOW! HAWAII! several times, this past February being my fourth outing. I have to say, I believe it to be the most incredible art event in the world and the friends I’ve made at the events have become my family and mentors. The experience is second to none, I’m honored and incredibly lucky to take part in such an event.
Continue below to see tons of images from behind the scenes and the completed murals by myself, Brandon Shigeta, Jasper Wong and others:
germansingergirl
romaincrisis
origamiaround
turnnoffyourmind
jbbartram-illu
vaporwave
kianamaiart
