Maui Mural: Transient Tales. The Story Behind the Name
20 December 2019
It's almost the new year, and I still struggle trying to find the words to describe how I feel about this mural. In essence, this mural changed me physically, mentally, and spiritually. As my first large scale solo mural, I had to make decisions I never thought I needed to do. I had to work together with nature in ways that left me beat down and sun burnt, wishing for the rain, and a slight but not too forceful wind. In times of self doubt and utter sadness, this mural made me more patient, more persistent, and more open to the helpfulness of humanity.
I can honestly say that I have never felt more connected within a community than I have been feeling with the people on Maui. Strangers stopped by to tell me then did a U-turn down the street because they needed to see this sudden change of scenery. Locals came by to say my work was needed in town. People were associating my style to that of Patrick Chang and Wyland, two big inspirational painters of mine. I felt needed in this community. I felt that what I had to share was important for people to see, and that was enough to get me out of my self-doubting slumps and to keep moving forward.
It took me some time to give this mural a name. I wanted to just name it 'Maui Mural' because that's what I've been calling it the entire time in Maui. But with 2 days until my departing flight, I sat down with new friends and meditated in front of the finished mural as the sun set behind it. We came up with 3 names:
Transient Tales, Deep Connections, and Harmonious Family.
All 3 could be the name of this mural. I even tried many different ways to combine all 6 words. They're all so different yet encapsulate what this mural is all about: Telling stories about the harmonious connections in nature.
I hope this mural is the starting point for conversations. I hope it brings people together to share stories of the connections they've experienced in nature. Nothing feels better than sitting around a campfire telling stories about our hopes, dreams, mistakes, and regrets. It's feels so good to open about our mistakes and collectively laugh at our silliness. It's a breath of fresh air displaying our vulnerability and in return receiving remarks of relatability and syncronicity.
Transient tales is the story of life, wonder, and connection. As the cleaner shrimp finds refuge in a species that could very well eat him in one bite, nature tells us stories about the boundless, beautiful, and infinite connections that all living things have with each other.
If you look close enough at your surroundings, you'll see that every action has a reaction. Down to the molecular level, we are all the same. We all deserve to be on the planet. One cannot survive without the other.
Images taken by @thealoha360