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I've always found that I do things differently than people around me. In school, I took drawing classes, but failed; the imposed structure of the class setting didn't work for me. I found it impossible to force myself to be creative in order to meet assignments and deadlines. Instead of trying to conform myself to the program, I sat by and watched in silence. It was not until much later that I found the right road to art.

 

While revisiting the culture I grew up in after an extended absence, I was exposed to the deteriorating memories of the elders of Pohnpei and was shocked by how much had already been lost of a once rich and proud tradition. While watching Mwoakillese teenagers re-learn and perform scraps of a notorious war dance, I felt compelled to create a series of portraits of Micronesians in traditional contexts. This has been the motivating force that I needed. Now, it is the fear of watching the cultures of the Pacific rapidly diminish that commands my hand and inspires me to keep creating art.

 

Micronesians are a little-known minority in this vast world, their cultures are in a furious state of flux and now intermingled with the complexities of the modern age. My hope is that my images will be successful in capturing aspects of cultures that are quickly vanishing and simultaneously commemorate the people of the past.  This will be an on-going project.