Solomon Enos is a

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

artist, illustrator, and activist. Enos has had their work displayed at the

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

and

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1 ...

Life

Enos was born in the Makaha Valley to Eric and Shelly Enos. Eric Enos was an artist and cultural practitioner who founded the Ka‘ala Cultural Learning Center. Shelly Enos worked at Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. Enos has three brothers, Kamuela, Kanoe, and Kanohi. In 2010, Kamuela Enos was named as

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

for

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

’s Advisory Committee for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Works

In 2004, Enos' illustrated Kimo Armitage's book ''Akua Hawai`i (The Gods and Goddesses of Hawai`i)'', which was published through

Bishop Museum Press The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the la ...

. In 2006, Enos illustrated the ''Epic Tales of Hi`iakaikapoliopele,'' which was published through Awaiaulu Press. In May 2011, Enos' work was displayed by the

in a multisite exhibit titled "This IS Hawai‘i." In 2016, Enos was featured in the

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) is a migratory museum that shares Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through innovative museum experiences online and throughout the U.S through the Smithsonian Institution T ...

's event "CTRL+ALT: A Culture Lab on Imagined Futures." In 2017, Enos was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Enos also completed a public mural in Thomas Square. In 2019, a mural that Enos had made in collaboration with five other artists was featured in the

's exhibition ''Unreal: Hawai‘i in Popular Imagination.'' In 2020, Enos was a speaker for the 2020 Hawai'i Climate Conference. In 2022, Enos had their first exhibition at the Hawaiian Center Art Gallery. They also spoke at a virtual event hosted by the

Hawaii State Public Library System The Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) is the only statewide public library, public library system in the United States. The system has 51 libraries on all the major Hawaiian Islands: Hawaii (island), Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Kauai, ...

called "Hawaiian Sci-fi with Solomon Enos." From July 2022 to May 2023, a series of Enos' paintings titled "Mo‘olelo Archetypes" were on display at the Pitt River Museum in

Oxford, England Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. The paintings from "Mo‘olelo Archetypes" focused on the epiic Hawaiian myth of

Hiʻiaka In Hawaiian religion, Hiʻiaka is a daughter of Haumea and Kāne. Hiʻiakaikapoliopele is the Hawaiian patron goddess of hula dancers, chant, sorcery, and medicine. Born in Tahiti and brought by her sister to Hawaii Pelehonuamea, Hi'iaka is al ...

ikapoliopele. From January 17 to March 18, 2023, Enos' work was featured alongside nine other artists including Bernice Akamine in an exhibit titled ''‘Ike Kanaka'' at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Schaefer International Gallery.

References

External links

Interview with Solomon Enos with Shoutout LA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enos, Solomon Artists from Hawaii Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Activists from Hawaii People from Honolulu County, Hawaii American illustrators