All About The Art

Most wouldn't consider a tattoo parlor an appropriate place for a first date – needles and permanency doesn't exactly scream  romance. Heavy metal doesn't really lend itself to flirty first date chat and dim, mood lighting would be a safety hazard for the working artists. But Paia Tattoo Parlor isn't exactly your typical tattoo shop and in fact, provides services other than just body art. About a year ago, my date and I attended one of their art installment openings. The scene was lively, full of chatter with an array of characters. My date stated at one point, "I had no idea there was a gallery in this place." My point exactly. Not many people know that Paia Tattoo Parlor offers film viewings, lectures, poetry slams, fund raisers and yes, amazing art shows. I am more than happy to say my interest in Paia Tattoo Parlor has outlasted my interest in said date.

Leah Honma, her husband (and tattoo artist) Justin Yates as well as couple Billy and Lasha Crandall opened Paia Tattoo Parlor in 2009. In only a couple of years, the parlor has a solid customer base (comprised of about half locals, half tourists) a staff of seven extremely talented and professional tattoo artists as well as a rotating art gallery that features local and visiting artists all taking place in a hip, spacious shop. The artists boast both an  incredible supply of creativity and professionalism. Everyone I've talked to say they are extremely impressed with the work they do there. Hygiene and professionalism are two things that tattoo artists take very seriously and the artists at Paia Tattoo Parlor are no exception.

This is not your typical tattoo shop. It lacks the dark and grungy interior, blaring heavy metal and intense machismo energy.  In fact the space is full of light and very clean – the  tattooing rooms are almost like eccentric, edgy hospital rooms. The artists are roughly half male; half female, which Honma tells me, is not the norm for most male dominated shops. And if they are playing heavy metal, Honma assures me it's not at a headache inducing volume.

The art exhibits are another unique feature at Paia Tattoo Parlor. Honma says she grew up amongst artists and understands how hard it is to find space where one can display their art. In a tourist economy such as Maui, artists make the most money (if any money) painting island specialties – romantic sunsets, tropical flowers, whales, etc. Paia Tattoo Parlor is trying to make it easier for local artists to showcase art they are passionate about creating.  She notes how young artists tend to leave Maui for places with bustling art scenes like New York, San Francisco and Chicago and try to make a living. Paia Tattoo Parlor is trying to make Maui a place full of diverse art, so that artists don't have to leave their home. Honma believes the art scene on Maui is changing. She says locals are becoming more and more active in the scene and that Maui is attracting a different type of artist. "There is becoming more of an appreciation for art less standard for Maui," she says.

As far as types of art go, there is definitely something for everyone. "Thus far we've been lucky to have hosted a variety of mediums . . . watercolor, oil painting, photography, polymer, clay, and fabric/fiber art sculptures. Quilting, copperplate etchings, even an artist in residence doing woodblock printing" Homna says.  She also notes that the parlor has been lucky enough to feature up and coming filmmakers, allowing them a place to give the first public viewings of their films. It seems as if the parlor has become somewhat of an artistic hub, also hosting sideshows, lectures, and poetry slams.

While they still host art shows, they have slowed down the frequency of doing a show a month. Homna's goal "is to book some larger, installation style shows and have more time to allow the exhibits to hang longer than four weeks.  That being said, the goal of the gallery space is to continue to be a community based art space, so we definitely take shows as we can."

Homna tells me she has rearranged their gallery schedule to coincide with the Fourth Friday event in Paia Town.  "The town has such a great turn out it seems to work out best to use that impetus to help fuel our shows.  Having that amount of foot traffic for one night of the month has helped us with our fundraisers as well, most recently we had a Dia de los Muertos group art show to benefit the Maui Food Bank." The next big show they have planned is for the end of February.  Artist Crystal Morey will be flying in from Japan to showcase panels created from old kimono fabrics/textiles combined with vintage Japanese advertisements

All the artists at Paia Tattoo Parlor enjoy their work for different reasons. While many artists just claimed the work "is fun," Justin Yates, part owner of the shop, resident tattoo artist and husband of Honma, says he enjoys the "one on one aspect and the unique relationship you build with a client while executing your art (which is a contrast to a lot of "fine" artists who find themselves alone in a studio, processing and working on different projects in a solitary environment)." Tattoo shops are a pretty social place, as printmaker Paul Mullowney put it, "The tattoo studio can be seen as an ongoing living performance piece where tradition, art, therapy, psychology, fashion, medicine and commerce mingle."  

Honma says she enjoys "the historical aspect, learning the what's and the why's of it.  Who the major influences were, where they came from, and how they got started.  Tattooing as a trade is interesting because you can almost trace the lineage of tattooists, through the master/apprentice relationship.  And I love the artistry and aesthetic of it all."

Honma insists Paia Tattoo Parlor is unique in that it is "more about the art, not the image" like many tattoo shops are. Like the artists they feature, the folks at Paia Tattoo Parlor live and breathe art, its not just their source of income, its their passion.  They are reaching out to all forms of artistic expression on Maui and blowing everyone's expectations of what a tattoo parlor should and can be. It is clear to say Maui needed a place like this and Paia is the perfect backdrop for budding creativity.

They offer a 15% discount for UH students with ID's and Honma encourages students to get involved with the art shows (either in solo or group shows) and I am sure she would be impressed with the immense amount of talent that UH Maui College has to offer.

If you are interested in getting inked, putting on an art show or just checking them out, you can find Paia Tattoo Parlor on Facebook or contact them via email (paiatattooparlor@yahoo.com) or give them a call at (808) 579-8515.