Kirk Kurokawa, a local boy of Hawaiian, Japanese, and Chinese descent, was

born and raised on Maui. He received a BFA with distinction in Illustration from

the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 2001, he returned home to

Maui, became a self-taught oil painter and pursued his dream of becoming a fine

artist. Kurokawa’s paintings focus predominantly on the "simple, everyday life

moments" and have been showcased in various exhibitions throughout the state.

Although he often paints the native birds, flowers and locals of Hawaii, he is best

known for his portraiture, He has been in every installment of the Schaefer

Portrait Challenge, and was awarded the Juror’s Choice Award in 2006, and the

People's Choice Award in 2015. He is also the first and only native Hawaiian to

paint the official Portrait of the Governor of the State of Hawaii.With his desire to achieve goodness and truth through his art, he hopes to make a difference in the community. Most importantly, he would  like to pass on the knowledge of art to the future artists of Hawaii in the hopes of creating a much more diverse art community that is truly creative.