Watercolors

Alan Akana's goal in each work of art is for the beholder to experience the natural essence and beauty of the flower. In order to do so, he often takes dozens of photographs from various angles and studies them for hours before he begins painting. You are invited to enjoy these stunning pieces of art:

Indigenous Species

The flowers in this collection are found naturally on the Hawaiian Islands. These watercolors show indigenous species that have evolved in isolation over millions of years in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and represent plants that once played an important role in native ecosystems.

Plumeria

The flowers in this collection are painted from plumeria trees found in Hawaii. Although not native to Hawaii, these flowers grow in abundance throughout the islands and, like many introduced species, have become part of Hawaiian culture.

Other

This collection contains flowers that have been introduced from other places in the world and grow in abundance in Hawaii. It also contains three watercolors of Japanese women, representing the artist’s interest in East Asian culture, which he studied in college. Flowers are an important part of Japanese landscape and clothing.