Kalani High School’s campus is filled with creativity, yet one student stands out. You’ll find Atona Chan (12) constantly hovering over a piece of paper. Whether she’s using paint, pencil, fabric, or even just using cut-outs of construction paper, Chan finds ways in her everyday life to bring her passion to life, creating astonishing art everywhere she goes. With her unique style, she draws quite a crowd.
“She’s one of the best students I’ve had,” AP drawing and painting teacher, Mr. James Mosher, says.
Chan has an “astonishing determination and talent for art,” taking AP art as of her senior year, participating in many art competitions, and winning multiple awards.
“She’s won scholastics multiple times and had an awesome achievement in 9th grade,” Mosher says. “Not only did she get into Hawaii regional scholastics, but she won a national award, granted it was a silver medal—not gold—but still, as a freshman, I’ve never had that happen.”
With such an impressive start in high school, Chan doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
“Stuff she’s doing this year—that mature vision—she has a particular style and it looks like stuff I’d see in a museum.” Mosher praises.
However, Chan’s “impressive talent” began the same way as everyone’s: as a kid driven by her desire to create. Chan found an outlet for her passion because of her grandma and paper cutting.
“To be honest, I don’t really know what got me into art because I always liked to make and draw ever since I was little, but if I had to choose, it would probably be paper cutting,” Chan says. “I would also say that my grandma played a really important part.”
Chan still frequently uses this simple paper cutting technique to create her works of art, the names of which she’d only learn much later in her life.
“When I was around seven or eight, my grandma brought me to her friend’s house, who made books about this Japanese paper-cutting art called Monkiri, which is really, really cool, but not many people know about it.” Chan states, “I really love paper cutting because it’s so playful and fun, and it is still a really big part of my life”
However, one of Chan’s biggest inspirations for art, especially as a kid, was her grandmother. Weaving art through the multitude of stories told simply by her surroundings.
“She’s the one who taught me how to sew and knit, and introduced me to a lot of different things that really interested me and influenced me in a lot of ways,” Chan says. “In her house, there are many, many interesting objects and clothes that she has collected from around the world from when she used to travel, and I would learn the different stories and cultures behind them. I believe these things influenced me in many ways. It shaped my passion and I often see them reflected in my art too.”
Not only does Chan create art for herself and as an outlet for her feelings, but she also creates to give back to the people who have supported her, trying to spread happiness and joy through her work.
“A reason why I create is that it is a way for me to give back to the people who have supported my art and my dream throughout my life,” Chan says. “If my art can make my family, friends, and everyone’s day even just a little bit better and brighter, that would make me really, really happy. Art was something that brought me happiness, so if I can, I want to share that joy with others.”
Chan has worked diligently to gain the skills she has today. However, she has no plans to stop and wants to focus more on using her art as a tool for self-expression.
“Right now, I want to keep drawing and create pieces that are honest to my feelings,” Chan says. “For me, it is important that I draw freely so that I can create works that more accurately represent me, and find my own voice.”
