Sean Yoro (born 1989),[1] known professionally as HULA,[clarification needed] is a self-taught contemporary artist, most known for his murals positioned near or in large bodies of water.
The Hawaiian native has been known for his delicate portraits of half-submerged women’s faces on icebergs across the worlds such as the Arctic Circle and Iceland in order to raise awareness of climate change and the effects on the environment.
[2] HULA’s medium to convey his art was artificial reefs, using concrete and steel in hopes to replicate an environment for marine life to grow.
In the interview Street Artists Learns Freediving to Paint Underwater on Artificial Reefs[3] by Jessica Stewart, HULA stated “Combining both my art and environmental passions happened almost by accident at first, when I started creating murals along ocean walls.
HULA’s passion for environmental reform has been noticed by the public, being most notable for painting on icebergs of indigenous local woman to raise awareness of global warming and the effects it has on the native people living near those environments at risk.
Despite the college drawing courses he took, Yoro credits his success as being self-taught by watching countless hours of YouTube tutorial videos and painted daily.
Merging his backgrounds in both street and fine art, Hula works primarily with oil paint and uses traditional techniques to create female figures interacting with the surface of the water.
Painted underwater in the oceans of Hawaii, HULA spread awareness of the dying coral reef epidemic, affecting the biodiversity and environment worldwide.
During, his project HULA underwent intense training in order to accomplish his murals by freediving, diving underwater without scuba gear.
HULA’s medium to convey his art was artificial reefs, using concrete and steel in hopes to replicate an environment for marine life to grow.
In the interview Street Artists Learns Freediving to Paint Underwater on Artificial Reefs[3] by Jessica Stewart, HULA stated “Combining both my art and environmental passions happened almost by accident at first, when I started creating murals along ocean walls.
HULA’s passion for environmental reform has been noticed by the public, being most notable for painting on icebergs of indigenous local woman to raise awareness of global warming and the effects it has on the native people living near those environments at risk.
The message possibly conveys a powerful suggestion of awareness, in a symbolic manner, to keep eyes open on the consequences of environmental extinction, perseverance, and being buried in the culpability of human actions.
[7] The materials used were also critical for HULA so he won’t harm the ecosystem, and later found after his project that algae started to form on his murals, demonstrating that his objective was a success.
For instance, the Alaskan village of Shishmaref has had to relocate its people due to a large amount of land being sucked up by the risen ocean water.
[7] Yoro uses eco-friendly pigment sticks mixed with vegetable oil as a binder to substitute for acrylic-type mediums as safe and usable material.