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Sean Yoro paints portraits that have an expiration date by design.
His creations have previously graced remote waterside walls, barely escaping the waterline, and icebergs in Iceland, which have likely melted by now.
The latest project – called “Puliki,” or “to embrace” in Hawaiian – was even more precarious: sketched with natural chalk and water on the burnt bark of trees, it’s already been washed away by the first rainfall.
The artist, also known as Hula, is based in New York City but is originally from Hawaii: “I grew up on Oahu, where I was surrounded with everything nature had to offer,” he told CNN. “The ocean was my playground and art didn’t enter my life until my later teenage years.”
“Puliki” is designed to send a message about climate change, droughts and deforestation: “When I saw first hand the devastation of the recent wildfires, I knew I had to incorporate the trees into my art,” he said.
'Puliki' was painted with natural non-toxic chalk, with water to spray on the burnt bark.
Hula studios
The piece was done in the Pacific Northwest, in an unspecified location “due to legal precautions,” says Yoro: “I had scouted a lot of forests in the past couple months and I wanted to choose a location that was impacted heavily by drought and wildfires.”
Yoro is a tattoo artist and a surfer, and some of his previous projects involved painting his portraits from a floating board.
Why portraits? “One of the exciting things about painting portraits is being able to bring life and emotion to objects and surfaces that were once without. Also these figures just seem to match with the moods. A mysterious surreal combination,” he said.
Yoro at work on a previous project, entitled 'Pu'uwai.'
courtesy sean yoro
The goal is to ignite a sense of urgency about climate change: “My hope is that people will embrace and protect our trees and even more importantly, our planet. It is important now more than ever to try to circulate positive environmental messages through art in order to combat the recent oppression of climate change research,” he added.
“I worry that we have taken for granted our natural world and if we wait any longer the negative effects will be irreversible.”
Browse the gallery below to see Hula’s previous artworks:
"A'o 'Ana" ("The Warning"), is one of Hawaiian surfer-turned-artist Sean Yoro's earlier works. The stunning portrait of a woman, barely emerged from the icy water, is precariously painted on an iceberg freshly broken off from a nearby glacier in Iceland.
courtesy sean yoro
Yoro traveled to Iceland and scouted for an ideal location to create "A'o 'Ana."
"Just in the short week I was there, the icebergs all around me were constantly cracking and flipping," he says, noting that the portrait was fleetingly short-lived. "I would have given it a week or two, maximum."
courtesy sean yoro
This striking piece of art, titled "What if I Fly", is Yoro's latest project. Painted on the disappearing ice floes near Baffin Island, Canada, it features the portrait of a local Inuit girl. The goal of Yoro's work? "To ignite a sense of urgency towards climate change in those who stumble upon these murals," he tells CNN. (Photo credit: Renan Ozturk)
? Renan Ozturk / Courtesy renan ozturk
The artist, who's also known as Hula, has previously painted portraits in remote locations. For "A'o 'Ana" he had a strong vision beyond aesthetic appeal. "The portrait represents the millions of people in need of our help who are already being affected from the rising sea levels of climate change."
courtesy sean yoro
To paint on ice, Yoro first applies an acrylic sheet: "It's similar to plexiglass. I had been experimenting with different techniques to be able to paint on ice and the best way was to have an acrylic ground. Thus, I mounted these very thin sheets of acrylic by drilling screws into the ice."
courtesy sean yoro
Yoro always scouts different places before setting up camp and embarking upon his painting. He's seen here walking on location -- the details of which he'd rather not disclose -- and says it was a good 5 mile hike on foot to reach his ideal spot.
courtesy sean yoro
Finding the perfect iceberg to paint on is also a challenging task. "It took us a whole day of searching until the right one came along and I was able to set up to paint. The currents didn't help either, as the quicker my iceberg moved, the more it melted," says Yoro of his "A'o 'Ana" portrait.
courtesy sean yoro
For "A'o 'Ana", Yoro had to paint at night so as not to be seen. Here he sits on the beach working on the hand of A'o 'Ana right before sunrise.
courtesy sean yoro
Yoro approached the iceberg with his surfboard and then climbed on with ice picks. "I do think we are headed in the right direction with the actions we are taking to fight global warming, but we are late in responding and we need to quicken the pace of action if we want to keep this world safe for our future generations," he says.
courtesy sean yoro
A previous project involved a series of mesmerizing portraits in yet another undisclosed, abandoned location: "One of the exciting things about painting portraits is being able to bring life and emotion to objects and surfaces that were once without."
courtesy sean yoro
Yoro recently moved to Los Angeles from New York, but is originally from Hawaii New York City. "I grew up on Oahu, where I was surrounded with everything nature had to offer," he tells CNN. "The ocean was my playground and art didn't enter my life until my later teenage years."
courtesy sean yoro
Who's the woman in the portraits? "She's a friend from New York, although she prefers to remain anonymous."
courtesy sean yoro
The artworks are created with traditional oil paint: "I use it in a traditional old masters' technique, mixing both loose brushwork with very tight strokes of sharp lines. I'm always trying to make the paint have a juicier texture to really help the portrait come alive."
courtesy sean yoro
The water and the elements could ruin the artworks any minute, so these portraits also had an expiration date by design.
courtesy sean yoro
"Oil paint outdoors definitely isn't the best and it doesn't last nearly as long as acrylics, but I kinda like that my figures have their own lifespan," says Yoro.
courtesy sean yoro
Each painting takes anywhere from a whole day to three or four days to complete, depending on the size and detail.
courtesy sean yoro
"I'm lucky to have grown up on a surf board and it's just so natural for me to be on my paddle board, so I'm very comfortable in all types of situations which made it easier for me," says Yoro of his unique approach to art.
courtesy sean yoro
Why portraits? "One of the exciting things about painting portraits is being able to bring life and emotion to objects and surfaces that were once without. Also these figures just seem to match with the moods. A mysterious surreal combination."
courtesy sean yoro
Painting from the precarious balance of a floating board might seem like a stressful task, but it's not as bad as it looks. "I use a lot of ropes and anchors to keep me in place and steady, and the board itself is pretty stable when it's locked in. I usually choose places with minimal waves and tide changes too, so it feels just like any other platform."
courtesy sean yoro
What's next for him? "Like most things in my life, I don't try to plan too much into the future. I only plan to stay true to my passion and see where it takes me. Currently in the works are more water murals and even hopping onto land for some figures who blend in with their environments."
courtesy sean yoro
These haunting iceberg murals only survived for a week before they melted
