Meet Edwin Ushiro

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Edwin Ushiro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Edwin, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

When I was born, the doctor told my mom that I didn’t have much of a chance to survive due to birth defects. Somehow love, luck and a new prenatal ward with my savior, Dr. Kathleen Poon, I’m still here. However, I had always wondered why I get the privilege to be amongst the living. My love for art allowed me the drive to make it my profession. My curiosity led me to listen and collect ghost stories throughout my life. So, after years of working as an artist in the entertainment industry, I gave myself time to merge those two passions by illustrating my precious childhood in Hawaii and the ghostly tales of my youth.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

EDWIN USHIRO IS AN ARTIST FROM HAWAII WHO IS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. HE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF HAWAII, YOUTH, AND NOSTALGIA IN A TECHNIQUE THAT’S UNIQUELY HIS OWN.

EDWIN USHIRO’S WORK RESONATES WITH THE ECHOES OF HIS BOYHOOD IN THE “SLOW TOWN” OF WAILUKU ON THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF MAUI. IN HIS PAINTINGS, HE RECALLS THE SUN-STRUCK DAYS OF YOUTH, WHEN THE WORLD WAS FRESH AND MAGICAL, BUT ALSO EXPLORES THE EERIE FOLKLORE INDIGENOUS TO DARK COUNTRY ROADS AND THE BOUNDLESS DEPTHS OF THE CHILDHOOD IMAGINATION. WHILE STRUCTURING HIS WORK AROUND THE NARRATIVE TRADITION OF “TALK STORY” NATIVE TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, HE INTERWEAVES THE UNCANNY OBAKE TALES OF HIS JAPANESE HERITAGE. WORKING IN A UNIQUE MIXED MEDIA TECHNIQUE WHICH INVOLVES LABORING IN INK AND ACRYLIC OVER SHEETS OF LUCITE PRINTED WITH ASSEMBLAGES OF HIS MORE TRADITIONAL DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS, HE CREATES REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST THAT ARE LUMINOUS AND NOSTALGIC, LIKE CHERISHED MEMORIES BURNISHED BY THE PASSAGE OF TIME.

AFTER EARNING A BFA WITH HONORS IN ILLUSTRATION FROM ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN, HE WORKED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AS A STORYBOARD ARTIST, CONCEPT DESIGNER AND VISUAL CONSULTANT. MORE RECENTLY, HE HAS EXHIBITED IN VENUES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING VILLA BOTTINI IN ITALY, GRAND PALAIS IN FRANCE, THE MUSEUM OF KYOTO, THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART, AND THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM IN LOS ANGELES. IN 2016, EDWIN CREATED HIS FIRST AND SECOND MURAL AS A PARTICIPANT OF POW! WOW! HAWAII AND LONG BEACH. A MONOGRAPH OF HIS ARTWORK, ENTITLED GATHERING WHISPERS, HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY ZERO+ PUBLISHING WITH AN EASTERN EDITION PUBLISHED BY DIAGON ALLEY IN SHANGHAI, CHINA. HE LIVES AND WORKS BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND MAUI.

EDWIN USHIRO’S CLIENTS INCLUDE SONY, INSOMNIAC GAMES, FOX ANIMATION, WARNER BROTHERS, DISNEY, THE JIM HENSON COMPANY, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY, WIEDEN + KENNEDY, WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR, MACMILLAN, SIMON AND SCHUSTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES, SANRIO, TOYOTA, MITSUBISHI, GEHRY PARTNERS, LLP, MARY KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN, LADY GAGA AND LINKIN’ PARK.

From March 7 to April 12, 2025, I will have a 2 person show with Andrew Hem at Château Lamazière in Cormeilles-en-Parisis, France.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Curiosity, ability to produce visually exciting and believable artwork, and working well with others. Sketch from life. There is so much to learn from life rather than studying visual content online.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

In every stage of my artistic career, my parents, family and friends have been the backbone of my success. Always pushing me, being my cheerleaders, and reminding me who I am and where I came from. Shout out to my high School Art Teacher, Janet Sato, who continues to be my sounding board. I am very fortunate to have them all.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

EDWIN USHIRO

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