Meet Kiana Kapoi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiana Kapoi.

Kiana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
This all just sort of happened to me. I never set out to be an artist or thought this could be a realization for me. I mean, as a little girl I did want to be an artist but those dreams were crushed by the reality of this world and growing up poor. When I was growing up, being an artist meant being poor and struggling your whole life. So it was put on me to go to college and make something of myself.

And I did just that. I got good grades in school, got a scholarship to go to college, graduated college and got a secure business job. I did all the sensible things that one does. But I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t what I wanted for my life. At this point in my life, I was in an abusive relationship and then my son entered my life. He was the catalyst to how I got here. I left my ex and moved to Arizona for a fresh start. My ex was not happy with this and I was scared. It was in this dark and depressing time in my life that Jesus showed up and wrecked me.

He took the time to heal my heart from all the pain of my past, spoke life into my dreams of being an artist, and gave me a new identity rooted in Him. I began painting. Finding comfort in the paints and being able to create again was such a release. My friends would see my work and purchase them and share it with others. This is what sparked me to open up an etsy shop to sell my work to others. I’m currently working on more originals and prints. It’s been an interesting journey to this point. One I’m hoping will only get better and be filled with many more adventures.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, definitely not. Right now I’m not a full-time artist. I work in ministry part-time and take care of my now 3-year-old full time. As a single parent, it’s been hard to try to balance it all. The struggle of wanting to be a good mother that’s present and the drive to want to be a full-time artist often conflict. I want to give my son the life I didn’t get to live as well as show him that you can make your dreams a reality.

Other struggles for me were learning how to manage a business. Being a one-woman show is draining and hard. There’s been a lot of trial and error in the process. Lots of losing money over not having the right permits for craft fairs I’ve done or not weighing out my paintings properly to be shipped. It’s all a part of the journey though as an artist. You make mistakes and you learn from them. Now I know better on how to price my work and know a thing or two about craft fairs. Mostly my current business struggle is the marketing aspect. I’m trying to make a marketing strategy and be more consistent with my online presence.

We’d love to hear more about your art.
My business is called Kiana Kapoi Art. I would say I’m mostly known for my acrylic paintings but I also have dabbled in watercolor and lettering. My paintings are impressionistic and abstract at times. I create seascapes and botanical paintings mostly but I don’t like to paint myself into a box. I’m always open to painting other things and challenging my artistic skills. I love to paint things that I find interesting or just feels good to paint. Coming to Arizona I’ve found a love for desert plants.

The scenery here is so inspiring and different to me. Mostly because I grew up in Washington and Hawaii and the scenery there is drastically different. Though I’m still enamored by the ocean. Being Hawaiian I think I’ll never stop painting the ocean or Hawaiian plants. I’d like to say what makes me different is that I’m not afraid to try new things and experiment with my art. My paintings won’t look the same. I try to keep my art affordable so I offer prints of my work and at request digital files of it. My main goal is to just create things that people love and bring them joy.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love this city. There’s so much here. Cool little shops on main street and amazing community events. I love that this city supports local businesses and loves art as well. It’s a city that thrives off of entrepreneurship and I find that energy so inspiring.

Contact Info:

• Email: kianakapoi@gmail.com
• Instagram: @kianakapoiart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kianakapoiart

Image Credit:
Capturing Your Journey Photography

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