Mural by Edwin Ursho, courtesy Jasper Wong
Dozens of artists from all over the world flock to the gorgeous destination of Hawaii annually, for a street art festival called POW! WOW! Hawaii. Massive, fantastical murals, flashy writing, and miniature sculptures have sprouted all over Honolulu over the past six years, thanks to POW! WOW! founder Jasper Wong. He does all sorts of financial jiu jitsu to make POW! WOW! a place where artists can paint what they want, without fear of meddling brands or money problems. "I would hate to go into a festival where they say, ‘We’re sponsored by McDonalds, so you’ve got to put some McDonald’s-themed stuff in your mural,’” he tells The Creators Project. “That would be horrible. We never want that to happen ever."The festival has grown exponentially since its inception in 2011, which consisted of 12 artists painting canvases in the back of a cafe. Now over 60 artists, including Slinkachu, 1010, and HULA, participate in POW! WOW! festivals in four different countries. We covered the festival in-depth, dissecting the gentrification problem facing Honolulu's street art community and showcasing the major artworks left behind in POW! WOW!'s wake, but now you can meet the artist behind the paint. In the official POW! WOW! video below, you'll hear from master of miniatures, Slinkachu; LA artist Christina Angelina; local legend Kaplan Bunce; and fearless leader Jasper Wong himself. Plus, you'll enjoy a medly of murals and sculptures being made on one of the most beautiful urban canvases on the planet.Learn more about POW! WOW! on the official website.Related:Interdimensional Portals and Miniature Murals Invade HonoluluHonolulu's 'Graffitification' Problem Can't Stop the POW! WOW! Art FestivalStreet Murals Conquer Austin at SXSW [Photos]
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