Originally from Honolulu, Hawai`i, Kanani Miyamoto currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she practices art, teaches, and curates. She is of mixed heritage and identifies most with her Hawaiian and Japanese roots, celebrated in her artwork. Miyamoto holds a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Kanani is now the Arts Coordinator at p:ear, a creative drop-in center for homeless youth.
Important to Miyamoto’s work as an artist is sharing and honoring her mixed cultural background to represent her community and the beauty of intersectional identities. She also explores topics such as institutional critique and hopes to create critical conversations around cultural authenticity in the arts. Miyamoto is a printmaker who uses traditional printmaking techniques to create large-scale print installations. In addition to being a practicing artist, she is an advocate for art education and a passionate community worker.
Photo by Mario Gallucci