Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacia Hiramine.
Stacia, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Growing up, you would have been hard pressed catch me on any day of the week without a book in one hand, and a pencil, paintbrush, instrument or camera in the other. As a little girl, my imagination was constantly stoked by frequent travel, imaginative friends, and most of all, stories of all kinds. I’ve always loved creating, mainly to place myself in the stories that wrapped my world in meaning, and to discover perspectives that challenged and inspired me. It was my dream to travel to every corner of this big, beautiful world, and hear every story of every explorer, student, musician, chef, mother, gardener, worshipper, and child that I could. To take those stories and share them, inspiring others to pursue and become passionate about the stories breathing around them would be the ultimate goal.
I chose to get my undergrad online so I could embark on several trips to try and satiate my burning curiosity to see life everywhere. From Dubai, to South Africa, to Indonesia, to Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, China and beyond, I was ceaselessly amazed by the stories I’d encounter that demonstrated what it meant to be a courageous and loving human on Earth. It was almost as if I was living in the books I’d devour as a little girl, but struggled even harder to capture the moments I found myself experiencing. Every piece I’d create to reflect my life at that moment was scrutinized by my own powerful sense of insecurity and crippled by comparison to other talented artists around me and around the world.
Knowing I would never confront own insecurity unless immersed in a challenging environment, I reluctantly signed up for a media advocacy school that took me to practice photography in rural Papua New Guinea for several months. Both my love for photography and storytelling grew exponentially in that magical window of time, removed from the modern world and its chronic anxiety. Essentially addicted to the freedom that comes when we dive into where our passions and gifting meet, I took a quick breath and headed to Lebanon to story tell and photograph for Syrian refugees and at-risk children. Now, a year later, I’m pursuing a Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies with a focus on Children-at-Risk in Pasadena, an encyclopedia-sized repertoire of stories from around the world encapsulated in photos from the first few years of a lifetime of storytelling pushing me forward.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I dove into photography specifically to confront my fears of being ‘not quite enough’. There’s nothing like exploring the world through another’s eyes and being changed by a story that speaks to us from what might be a thousand miles away. In my own journey, I’ve found that judgement on myself quickly slips to judgement on others, and a quickness to speak, rather than listen. Photography buries both of these habits in an avalanche of grace. When I share stories that shape the beautiful lives of others, I simultaneously crush judgement on myself and others, making way for my own art to express what might otherwise never impact others. I hope the stories I’m able to share, whether they be couples in love, refugees trying to find home, seniors on their way to new seasons, villagers seeking once-in-a-lifetime medical care for their children, fellow students, or my elderly neighbor, would inspire trust in our own stories and the power of listening to change lives.
While at the moment, grad school consumes most of my waking hours, I try to keep my eyes open for new challenges and experiences that force me to pursue life like the gift it is. I try to regularly gather and learn from stories and would love to hear yours!
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
I often think how art is so similar to our own lives in that we never witness ourselves drinking our morning coffee, sleepy and solemn, or watching a movie, eyes wide and anticipating. We never truly observe our own light in our eyes when we’re laughing at an inside joke or being held by someone who loves us. It’s endlessly fascinating to me that we will never see our face except in a reflection – and likewise, we will never see our own art except through the eyes that envisioned it first: our own.
If I were able to share a little bit of what I’ve had to get through my own thick skull while listening to countless stories, it would be to learn to love our own stories, the art that is our own lives. I truly believe each life is indeed a work of art. It has mistaken and tragedies and pieces most people will never see. It is because of this, though, that both our lives and the art we make with them can impact others in fantastic and beautiful ways. In short, keep sharing the art that is you and the art you create, because your story is meant to be shared and seen beyond what you could see.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can see my photos online at staciahiramine.wixsite.com/photography or on Instagram: @staciahiroko. If there’s a story you’d love to share, visually or just personally, I’d be honored to be a part of the process! If you happen to be further south, I’d highly recommend working with some of the most talented storytellers I know, and just wonderful friends at Sonder Liv Studios in San Diego.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://staciahiramine.wixsite.com/photography
- Email: staciahiramine@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staciahiroko/
Image Credit:
Brianna Hiramine
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