Inside Kimberlin Blackburn’s ginger scented studio in Kapa‘a, radiant goddesses and glittering palm trees assembled from millions of glass beads, wire and wood surround the artist like amulets from a journey through a sacred land. Listening to Blackburn describe a life that has thematically informed her multi-media work over three decades, is like watching a great weaver extract pattern from chaos. From textile design to installation sculpture, photographic and book assemblage to painting, Blackburn’s work may be varied in medium, but the story told is consistently personal, reflecting a dedication to her family history and deep love of the land. Blackburn’s work has been exhibited in hundreds of shows, published by Artweek and housed in the Smithsonian’s prestigious Renwick Gallery collection — a third generation Kauaian, she continues to challenge both content and form in her expressive and passionate work.

TKimberlin Blackburn’s work is available locally. For more information visit the artist’s Web site at www.akimberlinblackburn.com.