Arguably one of the best murals created at this year’s POW! WOW! Hawaii (more coverage here) and one of the most unusual and interesting collaborations was the one by Esao Andrews and Aaron Horkey. None of the artists are really known for their mural skills or even large scale works, so it was interesting to watch their talents pulling off one of the most detailed and exceptional pieces created.
Painting on the facade of Fresh Cafe in Kaka’ako, this was Esao’s second ever mural he’s worked on, while for Aaron this meant he was picking up spray paint after some 15 years since the last time he used the medium. Using the spray can in place of the tip of a pen, he worked 4-5 long days adding shading, texture and countless little details with his distinctive line work.
At the same time, Esao was recreating his surrealist painting style with the use of the spray can, applying different new tricks he learned and discovered along the way. Even though technically a beginner with this medium, his more experienced colleagues had a hard time believing that someone with such little experience could pull off such incredible work.
The final striking image blends the two styles perfectly in a dynamic, fantasy scene in which Horkey’s sea monsters are emerging underneath Andrews’ old wooden ship. This piece was also a nice introduction to a two man show these two artists will have in September at Thinkspace in Los Angeles.
Photo credit: @arrestedmotion_sal & @arrestedmotion_sleepboy.
Discuss Esao Andrews here. Discuss Aaron Horkey here.
