Overview:
Palau and Micronesian artists take center stage in Ocean of Peace, a powerful new exhibition at Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Through sculpture, digital media, weaving, poetry and painting, six artists explore culture, history and the Pacific’s path toward harmony—on view Dec. 6 to Jan. 29, free to the public.
December 18, 2025
KAHULUI, Maui — Palau and Micronesian artists are at the center of Ocean of Peace, a new group exhibition opening Dec. 6 at the Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, bringing contemporary island perspectives into dialogue with culture, history and regional geopolitics.
The exhibition runs through Jan. 29, 2026, and features six artists of Micronesian heritage whose work reflects traditional beliefs and practices shaped by lived experiences in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Ocean of Peace draws its title from a framework endorsed by Pacific Island leaders in 2025, envisioning the Pacific region as a space of harmony and cooperation rooted in Indigenous values and cultural customs. The exhibition marks the first phase of an extended collaboration between the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, the East-West Center Arts Program and the Pacific Islands Development Program, aimed at highlighting Oceanic cultures through contemporary artistic expression.
The initial focus on Micronesia comes at a time when the region occupies a growing place in international diplomacy.
“The Pacific Ocean, our Blue Pacific Continent, covers about 30% of the earth’s surface,” said Dr. Mary Therese Perez Hattori, retired director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center. “Micronesia spans 2.6 million square miles of that ocean and is a major maritime region of growing geopolitical consequence and commercial interest to foreign nations. The challenges to our security, environment, ways of life, and peace must be addressed. The first step to addressing challenges is awareness.”
She said the artists and curators hope to build that awareness and appreciation for Micronesian peoples, places and cultures “so together we can realize an Ocean of Peace.”
The exhibition is curated by Jonathan Yukio Clark, director of Schaefer International Gallery; Hattori; Eric Chang, arts program manager at the East-West Center; and Annie Reynolds, curator of the East-West Center Gallery.
Installations throughout the gallery are organized into thematic areas that interweave the work of the six artists, including two from Palau.
Anthony Watson of Belau (Palau) works in wood and metal sculpture, using carving, inlay and lashing techniques to create canoe vessel forms and utilitarian tools rooted in Micronesian maritime traditions. Kalany Omengkar, of Belau and the Northern Mariana Islands, uses digital media to produce contemporary designs, digital paintings and animated storyboards that reinterpret timeless legends and cultural practices.
Other participating artists include James Bamba of Guåhan (Guam) and the Northern Mariana Islands, a master of Chamorro weaving who uses hand-harvested fibers to recreate historic objects and develop new forms; Carol Ann Carl of Pohnpei, a poetry artist who works across spoken audio and visual projection; Gillian Dueñas of Guåhan, whose digital rendering and mixed-media paintings highlight regional narratives and Pacific interconnectedness; and Lissette Yamase of Chuuk, who uses charcoal drawing and oil painting to depict everyday moments alongside pointed historical references.
“While rooted in both history and heritage, these artists’ interwoven visions are distinctly contemporary,” Clark said. “They show nuance and respect in how they interpret historical narratives and forms, while pushing the boundaries of their chosen media to connect their stories with current-day experiences across Micronesia, Hawaiʻi and the greater Pacific.”
The exhibition opens with a free public event on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon: Observe & Play Family Day – In Honor of Shirley Yokouchi. Families and visitors of all ages are invited to meet the artists and participate in interactive art-making stations inspired by the Ocean of Peace theme.
Additional free public programs are scheduled for January, including a screening of the documentary Remathau: People of the Ocean on Jan. 14 and the return of Activations: After Hours at the Gallery on Jan. 16.
Schaefer International Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and before select Castle Theater performances. Admission to the exhibition and related public programs is free. (Source: PR)