DON MATSUMURA

I was born and raised on the leeward coast in Waianae. The youngest of four children, we all grew up working on the land. With my mother who loved farming and my mechanic father who, to me, could build and fix anything; there was never a shortage of things to do. They taught me the value of hard work but still set me free to play in the oceans From Tracks to Yokohamas and climb the Waianae Mountains where I learned to love nature. I attended the University of Hawaii where I was lucky enough to study under Fred Roster who taught me how to see with my eyes and gave me a deep appreciation for carving. After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a fine arts degree in sculpture I knew I wasn’t ready to become an artist so I started a career working in of all places, a rock quarry? For over 23 years I made a living making small rocks from big rocks, “carving a mountain”. During this time I never stopped making things, working in wood and steel, making jewelry, carving reliefs and netsukes, and making furniture. The urge to create never left me and found outlets wherever my gifts were needed, even at work, solving problems, helping create new processing plants and coming up with ways to conserve resources like water and energy.

Eventually I started working the same stone that I had been making into aggregate for concrete and roads. Making small bowl’s, Ulumaikas, and Poi Pounders, and as I made what I thought were these common things the beauty of stone was revealed to me. I began to see how much potential it has and how we are so connected to it through our past, our present practices and how we take it for granted. In 2012, my father was diagnosed with Dementia, as his disease progressed so did my discovery of myself and my life’s purpose In 2013, I retired to take care of him and my stepmother and to pursue a second career as a sculpture. As an artist I seek to bring beauty to this world and to make connections through the use of stone and other materials that should be touched held and felt.

The Hawaiians revered stone, now I appreciate why. I work “for” stone as much as I work with it. I wish to bring the viewer closer to this material to touch it, to feel it, to be with it. Stone for me is alive, I honor it, I cherish it, I revere it and listen to it with all I am and in return it speaks to me. I invite you to be part of the conversation.