Esther Hi’ilani Candari

Esther Hi’ilani Candari was born to a mixed Asian American family and raised on the beautiful eastern shore of Oahu, Hawai’i. As an artist, her work reflects this rich multicultural upbringing and often draws upon Polynesian symbols and cultural ideologies. Her work is primarily figurative and explores concepts such as; multiracial identity; gender and the female gaze in context of religion; and the nuance of human psychology that can be expressed through portraiture. Many of her portraits break the fourth wall with their direct gaze and challenge the viewer to engage with the subject on an intimate level, rather than merely observe. The foundations of her painting techniques are traditional in nature, but her meticulously crafted multimedia applications infuse the final works with a unique, innovative, and captivating edge.

In addition to painting, she works as an online faculty member for SVU, the curriculum designer for Sentient Academy, and serves on the Board of Directors for Dialouge Journal.  She currently lives in Utah County with her husband, two needy cattle dogs, and an ever-growing collection of house plants.