KĀKO'O MAUI: Tanja Browne Original Piece

I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Kaimuki, Oahu, Hawaii.  Fascinated by ancient mosaics I saw in my travels, I became self-taught in this technique here at home.  My style is informed by the lines and contours that reveal themselves to us everyday, from the feathers of the kolea to the shapes of the mountains and craters.  I challenge myself to translate these patterns into the andamento, or laying of tile.  Each tile is hand-cut and laid down in such a way as to contribute to the harmony of the image by amplifying the flow. Contrast between positive and negative space, on the other hand, is also an element that defines my design process, which I enjoy using to its full advantage.

When making art, I often try to use what's already on island and hopefully keep things out of the landfill.  I love to perpetuate someone's beloved but retired surfboard into a one-of-a-kind art piece.  I also appreciate the limited color palette of tile available at any given time, and I will use contrast to articulate plain white, for example, into something more interesting.

I am deeply grateful to Kiani Wong and her team at Ki'ikau Printers for partnering with Hawaii Community Foundation to give us this specific way to help our friends and family from over here, and to contribute to the ongoing healing of Maui.

- Tanja Browne, Mosaic Tile Artist

Follow Tanja Browne on Instagram!