Indroduction
Hello! My name is Kainoa Ake. I'm 19 years old. I'm an art student at UAF in my sophomore year. I want to specialize in animation and character design. I work at the UAF Wood Center as a graphic designer in the CSE department. I mainly do digital art, but in my free time, I also like to do street art. I was born in Logan, Utah, but moved up to Fairbanks, Alaska, when I was 9.
Growing up with undiagnosed autism and ADHD art had always been a refuge for me. Where I struggled socially and in a lot of other subjects in school, art was a means of communication and expression that made sense to me. I have been doing art for as long as I can remember. My mom actually has kept binders of my old art, some of them being from when I was around 3 years old. I'm glad she did because It's fun to see my progress over the years.
In my art I've been heavily influenced by cartoons and TV shows I watched as a kid. I used to watch Fanistasia repeatedly, transfixed by the way the animations synced up and told the story of the music being played. I would watch old cartoons from the 80s with my dad. Shows like Voltron, He-Man, Dragon Ball Z, and Thundercats. I also watched a lot of the early 2000s Cartoon Network cartoons. Shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Chowder, Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack.
Another inspiration in my art is horror and the macabre. I love all things horror and unsettling. It's always just really drawn me in. How one work of art, film, or game can invoke such deep-rooted emotions in oneself is fascinating to me. Some artists in that genre that have inspired me are Junji Ito, Hieronymus Bosch, Yuko Tatsushima, and Laurie Lipton. I also grew up reading all the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books and In a Dark, Dark Room. I'm also a big fan of horror video games, particularly RPG maker games. Some of my favorites are Ao Oni, Ib, and Who's Lila?.
Excited to see more!! Hope this works!!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I have seen one of those works in person - the one attributed to Hieronymus Bosch. Their some in the art world who believe that someone else (a contemporary) did it in his style. Dirk Zimmer's work reminds me a bit of Maurice Sendak. I've been to Logan, UT! I went there in 2019 to a ukulele festival.
ReplyDeleteThe artwork you selected is very deep. I relate to the message behind your text and selection of art.
ReplyDeleteHello Kainoa
ReplyDeleteLove your art and the direction you are pursuing though love horror but not all have same reservation. Happy to be with you in this class.
Hi Kainoa, I grew up with a baby sister that has autism and ADHD as well. She isn't a social type but like you is an amazing artist. I feel that we all find our ways to express what is inside in different ways and view it as a gift. Like you my sister speaks and socializes through her art work, while others only speak vocally. I also admire and appreciate the Garden of Earthly Lights.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to your view on art, the darker arts and the macabre can sometimes hold a lot more emotion than more decorative pieces. Im also very curious on what your drawing style looks like since you like the darker arts and was raised on cartoons, it sounds like a very cool mix!
ReplyDeleteHello Kainoa,
ReplyDeleteI love your art and enthusiasm for the macabre. I've always felt horror and suspense can keep and subvert you expectations and feelings about some topics. I can't wait to see what else you post on this blog!