Artist: Esther Hi’ilani Candari
About the Artist: Esther Hi’ilani Candari was born to a mixed Asian American family and raised on the beautiful eastern shore of Oahu, Hawai'i. As an artist, her work reflects this rich multicultural upbringing and often draws upon Polynesian symbols and cultural ideologies.
Her work is primarily figurative and explores concepts such as; multiracial identity; gender and the female gaze in context of religion; and the nuance of human psychology that can be expressed through portraiture. Many of her portraits break the fourth wall with their direct gaze and challenge the viewer to engage with the subject on an intimate level, rather than merely observe. The foundations of her painting techniques are traditional in nature, but her meticulously crafted multimedia applications infuse the final works with a unique, innovative, and captivating edge. Her academic research and written work complement her visual artistry and serve to enrich and inform conversations related to race, gender, and LDS doctrine.
She has a BFA from BYU-H, an MFA from Liberty University, has studied at the New York Academy of Art, and interned with Joseph Brickey. Her work has been exhibited, purchased, and published in cities across the country including New York, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. She is an online faculty member of Southern Virginia University and lives in Utah County with her husband, Steven Christiansen, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Title: This Bitter Cup
Material: Oil on panel
Size: 8 x 10 inches
Price: $1,600 (This does not include applicable tax or shipping costs)
About the Artwork: Being human equals experiencing doubt, reluctance, and suffering and I think that it is easy to forget that Jesus Christ experienced those emotions too. In the most crucial moment of His earthly mission He asked for respite, relief from the bitterness set before him. Bitterness that he ultimately drank so that all people can one day find respite from theirs.
We all at some point question why we are given certain trials, pain, or weaknesses. That questioning is nothing to be ashamed of. The grief and fear that come from facing mortality are nothing to be ashamed of. They are part of the process we must all walk through to become more than we are. More empathetic, more selfless, more humble. More like our Savior.
An unspoken but profound part of Christ suffering is the role of Heavenly Mother. I included her in this painting. Her as the tree, her symbol from age immemorial. Her as a grieving mother wishing she could hold her child close enough to wash his pain away with her tears.
