Hawaii Artist Kris Goto Transforms Her Surfing Into Manga-Style Art


When most artists are asked what their inspiration is for the art they create, most of them will simply bring up details from their lives. For example, Salvador Dalí went through a phase of painting numerous nude poses of the same woman. Ergo, the inspiration for his work at the time was the woman, his wife. For Hawaii-based artist Kris Goto, her inspiration comes from one of her most-beloved hobbies: surfing. Goto has fused her love of the surf with her passion to become an artist to create manga-style artwork of her surfing musings.

Just recently, Kris Goto opened up about her art to Huffington Post. In one of the more entertaining parts of her interview, Goto describes a piece titled, Rice and Surf (pictured below).

“You get so hungry but you don’t want to leave because the surf is too good. What I think would be fun is eating spam musubi while you’re surfing.”

Kris Goto shared more about her art, saying she likes to share relatable personal problems and feelings in her art. An example of this is the conundrum Hawaiian locals feel when surfing is done and they have to work. However, such personal problems (an artist’s pain, per se) is what creates the most beautiful art, right?

Rice and Surf - Kris Goto
“Rice and Surf” by Kris Goto

Ever since she could remember, Kris Goto wanted to be an artist. She practiced her passion by filling numerous notebooks with her own invented characters and their stories, inspired by the work of manga artists Yuu Watase and Osamu Tezuka. Eventually, Goto made her passion into a career. Her work has been featured at a smorgasbord of venues, including Pow! Wow! Hawaii, Manifest, Next Door, Loading Zone, Bambu Two, The ARTS at Marks Garage, V Lounge, Zenworx Kaka’ako, Greenroom HAWAII, Gallery Meld on the Big Island, Halele’a Gallery Kauai, and Art on the Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas.

To view more of Kris Goto’s artwork or purchase one of her originals (or prints), visit her official website. Goto also has social pages on Instagram and Facebook for fans to see her recently released works and even some WIPs (works-in-progress).

[Images courtesy of Kris Goto via Facebook]

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