Harinani Orme
Location
Palolo Valley, O‘ahu
Medium
Printmaking
Painting
Clay
Mixed Media
Website
Harinani Kalohelani Orme is a Native Hawaiian artist who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Master of Fine Arts degree at the Pratt Institute in New York. Currently, her works focus on the myths, legends and traditions of old Hawaiʻi. For these works, Harinani calls upon her printmaker and painter skills. She believes this combination infuses certain graphic characteristics into her images and allows for a fuller expression of the narrative style she desires. She sees her works as an ongoing process of experimentation, harvestation and assemblage until the emerging images takes a life form of its own.
Although Harinani is known primarily as a fine arts painter and a book illustrator, she also creates artwork in mixed media and other mediums. She is a printmaker, a ceramicist and a jeweler. In addition, she is a trained kumu (teacher) who has taught – and continues to teach – various art forms to students of all ages in formal and informal educational settings in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland.
Harinani loves books. She is credited for illustrating: Na Wai Lā? (Who Ate It?) by Kaʻōhua Lucas; Nou Kēia? (Is This Yours?) by Kaʻōhua Lucas; Kili and the Singing Tree Snails by Janice Crowl; Pulelehua and Mamaki by Janice Crowl (2010 Ka Palapala Poʻokela Awards – Excellence in Children’s Literature); Manu Palupalu, retold by K. Laiana Wong; and Raven and the Sun: Echoing Our Ancestors, adapted by Noelle Kahanu.
Harinani feels honored to be part of a team of professional Native Hawaiian artists who worked collaboratively with haumana (students) and alakaʻi (leaders) in conceptualizing and bringing to fruition several large murals at the Sheraton Waikiki (Helumoa), Camp Mokuleʻia, Kalihi Stream, Hawaiʻi Convention Center and the Bishop Museum Pacific Hall. They recently collaborated with leaders and students on the island of Molokaʻi to create eight story-telling mural banners. The team of artists include: Kahi Ching, Solomon Enos, Al Lagunero, Meleanna Meyer, Harinani Orme and Carl Pao. Mahalo to Maile Meyer and Meleanna Meyer for making these Arting-in-Place projects possible!