Meet Sasha Hercik

On Saturday, April 27, 2024, we will host our third Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival from 3-5 PM at ProArts Playhouse in Kihei. Resulting from of our most recent call to artists, a new collection of animated film shorts drawn from intergenerational talk-story audio recordings will be unveiled that celebrate Maui history, culture and sense of place.

The recordings stem from our Hui Mo'olelo program partnership with the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society. Led by kumu Leilehua Yuen, a cohort of 21 storytellers were trained and paired with intergenerational partners to audio-record memories rooted in special places throughout Maui County. Each year, we release a new collection of recordings as part of our RFP (request for proposals) process wherein professional artists from across the globe submit proposals to interpret a story as a work of public art. 

Selected by a community panel this winter, Sasha Hercik (Kihei, HI) has worked with our team for months to bring the story of Anuhea Yagi and Hōaka Delos Reyes to life. Enjoy Sasha's Q&A below to get to know the artist, learn more about her process, and get excited for the April 27 event!

​What was it about the talk-story between Anuhea and Uncle Hōaka that sparked the inspiration to interpret it as a work of public art?

Listening to all the excerpts, initially I had a few different criteria that I was trying to fulfill to create a strong art piece that was also appealing to watch as a video: visual representation, solid storytelling, and emotional/personal impact. While all the talk-stories were unique and interesting on their own, I didn't quite feel the "emotional/personal impact" until I heard the excerpt from Anu & Uncle Hoaka. I remember listening to it and within the first 15 seconds I had my "oh, wow" moment that just sort of made it impossible NOT to choose it.

What lessons did you take away from your consultation with Anuhea?

I remember going into the meeting with Anuhea unsure of what to expect, and by the time the call ended there were just feelings of warmth, emotion and connection. Anuhea is a lovely, knowledgeable, passionate, deeply rooted person who gave me tons of visual inspiration for my art piece just by talking about her own experiences with Hawai'i, the Hawaiian culture, spirituality and physical places. Certain imagery she shared ended up totally changing the trajectory of my initial storyboards and I'm so grateful I had the chance to pick her brain.

What lessons did you take away from your consultation with Uncle Hōaka and his nephew Nalu?

This consultation I remember feeling intimidated going into because Uncle Hoaka is such a renowned professional in his field, yet his sense of humor and sly wit quickly made everyone comfortable and he filled the time we had with the most incredible, outlandish stories of growing up in Hawai'i. There were these instances where he would defer to his nephew Nalu for the right Hawaiian word/phrase/pronunciation because Nalu is a fluent practitioner of Olelo Hawaii and it was this really cool moment where we got to see the future of Hawaiian culture being taught back to the older generation, which feels almost synonymous to what this project is as well. Needless to say, Uncle Hoaka was a deep well of knowledge and I learned so much just by listening.

How has your approach to art evolved as a result of this project?

This project has been a unique experience to make an animation by listening to a story and creating a short film based really from feel alone. Typically when making a film, you tend to have a type of structure or linear story to follow, with characters or a setting, etc. but this approach relies on a sense of intuition and visual representation; anyone listening to this talk-story might have their own version of what they picture in their heads, whether that's colors, landscapes, the people themselves talking, and so to use my own interpretation to bring this story to life in a way that would make anyone watching understand it's power and emotional impact feels very special and unique. It makes me excited for future projects and has really expanded my way of thinking about film/animation in general.

What has the experience of working with MPAC been like for you?

I've mentioned this a few times during our calls, but I remember the last Small Town Big Art project I saw and thought to myself, "The next open call they have, I don't care what it is, I'm applying," because even though I've lived here almost my whole life, I had only just caught a glimpse of our growing local art scene recently and knew that I wanted to be a part of it. My experiences with Kelly, Sissy and Ann-Marie have been warm and professional, they're an incredible team striving to keep the arts prevalent on Maui and to translate our island's stories into public art pieces for everyone to love and enjoy. I've been so grateful to work with MPAC on this project as a way to finally get integrated into the Maui art scene and also to help promote our beautiful culture through animation.

What do you hope audience members will feel or understand after viewing your artwork?

There are a few things I hope are conveyed through this project:
1) Animation is a versatile, incredible medium that can showcase, express and promote the Hawaiian culture just as powerfully as any traditional medium
2) I hope this piece makes everyone watching it feel that same "oh, wow" goosebump, heavy powerful moment I felt when I first listened to this excerpt
3) I want Anuhea and Uncle Hoaka to feel their voices represented, and for this short film to help bridge the gap between their story and those who might not have understood their message without the visual element.

What advice do you have for others interested in working with MPAC?

JUST APPLY!!! Haha, I know the application process might be intimidating and you might not get approved on your first try, but just keep applying! MPAC is so helpful with their guidance, their empathy, and ability to work with you no matter where you're at on your creative journey, so do the big scary thing and just go for it! Follow their socials (and affiliate socials!) so you can stay on top of when the open calls are and jump in with both feet :)

Any closing thoughts?

Thank you again to MPAC for giving me this opportunity to finally connect with the Maui art scene, to get to make a piece of public art for the Maui community, and for such an amazing experience thus far. Being able to talk to people like Anu and Uncle Hoaka and Nalu and Aunty Sissy has been a privilege, and to have the ability to use my art to give back to my community that has cared for and guided me for nearly my entire life is something I will always be grateful for.