Smoke Break
Pono
Shay Macancheez AKA Pono is a visual explorer and mixed-media maverick from Texas now based in Austin who creates what he describes as 'violent, but harmless' artwork through the lens of a soul forged in both city and country life. Since his transformative experience on Hawaii's Big Island in 2010, Pono has channeled indigenous influences like Haida formline techniques into his distinctive aesthetic, exhibited his work, and navigated the constant artistic hustle. His work consists of a tight universe of symbols, characters and comical folklore that examines the human condition through impaled, bullet-riddled anti-heroes—a reflection of his own journey as an artist seeking truth in our challenging world, delivered with the wisdom that 'art is an adventure that only you, as your one-of-a-kind self can explore.
