The subjects of the photography in our work reflect the underlying themes of the exhibition: These themes include natural beauty, the similarities and differences in biomes, colorful plant and animal life within, and the aesthetic appeal surrounding nature and natural resource conservation. The photos most representative of these themes are exhibited in a minimalist manner, giving the viewer the opportunity to have an isolated view of both unique and similar elements in the photos by the respective artists. When looking at each piece, one can truly see how the natural wonders of both Hawai’i and New York are distant, but not so different.
Kohl Lui was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i in 2003. At a young age, he moved with his mother and brother to central New York State where he now lives. At age 7, he began to experiment with taking photos with a digital camera. At about this time, he and his brother began to travel the northeast U.S. with each of their parents on weekends and during school vacation breaks. Regularly occurring trips to Hawai’i to visit family also began. Kohl rather quickly became an avid hiker which fueled his interest in capturing striking scenic vistas and unique microcosms of nature. In addition to exploring many of the trails surrounding the shores of the Finger Lakes, Kohl’s travels have taken him on camping excursions across the country, as well as eastern locations, such as the High Peaks of the Adirondacks and Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. A continent and an ocean away, he has also hiked the volcanic peaks of the Ko’olau Mountain Range and spent ample time on a variety of the Windward and North Shore beaches of Oahu. It is some of these vast views and smaller patches of beauty that have been included in this cooperative photographic display.
Mirroring a diverse and well-traveled background and history of interest in all things design, Kurt Lui lives by the idea that the difference between art and design is that design is clear, functional, and speaks for itself to a wide variety of audiences: All qualities of which can often be found in natural environments. Holding multiple college degrees and an extensive professional background in communications, media project management, 3D modeling and graphic design, Kurt has put his passion for visual communication into many projects, including many of the photos featured in this exhibition, which highlight his passion for capturing the beauty of nature during his travels.