MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaii Island artist Amber Aguirre is like a rolling stone, never letting any grass grow as she pursues her passion for ceramic sculpture.

She returned home late last after a month-long residency at the Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center (BCCC) in Tel Aviv just in time to attend the opening of the Artists of Hawaii annual exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art on Oahu.

A collection of her art, together with the work of 10 additional artists selected from throughout the state to participate, is on display there through Nov. 24.

Aguirre’s fall schedule is booked with shows in Hawaii and on the mainland, including several locations on Oahu, and in San Francisco and Chicago:

* 46th Hawaii Craftsmen Annual Statewide Juried Exhibition, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Oct. 10-Nov. 2.

* Ceramics Annual of America, Civic Center, San Francisco, Oct. 18-20.

* SOFA Expo (Sculptural Objects and Functional Art), Navy Pier, Chicago, Nov. 1-6.

* Hawaii’s Modern Masters, Luxury Row, Honolulu, Nov. 3-Dec. 4.

* Matchbox Plus IX, Cedar Street Galleries, Honolulu, Nov. 22-Jan. 5.

A new body of Aguirre’s work, created while at BCCC will be featured at selected shows through the end of 2013 and into 2014, including the San Francisco show.

“The opening of the ‘Ceramics Annual of America’ show Friday, Oct. 18 presented a huge surprise – one of my Baby Bee pieces was selected as the cover shot for the show catalogue and it also graces the banners and billboards at San Francisco Civic Center. It all feels a bit surreal,” she said

“And many thanks to the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) who funded my residency in Tel Aviv – it was an amazing opportunity. The work I created there consists of small porcelain sculptures reflecting my time and experiences in Israel which coincided with our country’s near military strike on nearby Syria,” Aguirre said. “It took a while to get used to seeing rifle-toting military personnel everywhere and get comfortable wearing of a gas mask (mandatory) for a short part of my stay.”

The lasting memories, however, are those of the warmth and hospitality of the people who welcomed her with warm “shaloha,” she said.

“It’s a term adopted years ago by the Jewish community in the islands,” she said. “A combination of shalom (hello, good-bye and peace in Hebrew) and aloha.”

— Find out more:
www.amberaguirre.com