A practice.

Hi! I'm Pualaha'ole (Pua), and I'm a Hawaiian Queer artist based in the Bay Area. I have a particular love for angler fish, weird little creatures, and my cats, Mac and June.

My work explores bodies, vulnerability, and the messy, complicated ways we connect with one another. Growing up as a feminine-presenting person in the Bay Area, I've developed a sensitivity to the way bodies are seen, judged, and often edited to fit narrow societal expectations. Referencing impressionistic painting techniques, I aim to highlight the textures and so-called imperfections of the human body, centering the qualities that many feminine-presenting people are encouraged to hide. 

I'm forever interested in making work that feels intimate, strange, and human. Rather than treating the body as something to perfect, I want my work to create space for people to see it as it is: vulnerable, complicated, expressive, and alive.

I earned my BFA in Illustration from California State University, East Bay in 2025. My work has been featured in publications including the East Bay Times, I Love Life Magazine, Septic Sunday Zine, and my alma mater’s Occam’s Razor, and has been exhibited in CSU East Bay’s annual Rising Artist Exhibition. I’ve also collaborated with designers at the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, creating illustrations inspired by the organization’s mission and improving my skills in visual development, character design, and storytelling.

These days, I’m excited to keep building strange little worlds of my own, especially through character-driven work as I zero in on an upcoming visual novel!