Quick Facts
Biography
Sean Yoro (born 1989), known professionally as HULA, is a self-taught contemporary artist, most known for his murals positioned near or in large bodies of water. He has developed a distinct style merging fine art, street art and nature. In 2015 HULA became widely known and publicized for his viral iceberg murals, which sparked a larger environmental discussion. Since then many of his pieces have suggested climate change issues at the root of their message.
Early life
Growing up on the Eastside of Oahu, Sean spent most of his time surfing, until his late teens when he discovered his passion for graffiti and tattooing. He started his career in 2010 after taking a drawing class at Windward Community College on Oahu. Shortly after he relocated to Brooklyn, New York working under the alias 'HULA' to pursue fine art.
Career
In 2015 he broke into the street art world, when the release of his water murals became widely publicized. Hula's work is created while balancing on his stand up paddleboard. He usually works on shipwrecks, abandoned docks and semi-submerged walls. 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. Hula’s work often proposes an environmental discussion. HULA has worked on collaborations and has been hired by several commercial brands such as The North Face, Billabong, Instagram/Facebook and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Press
His work can be found on public walls and in galleries worldwide. He has caught the attention of major publications and media outlets such as CNN, The Huffington Post, Hypebeast, The Guardian, Juxtapoz Magazine, Daily Mail, NRDC, Aljazeera and Hi-Fructose Magazine.
Medium
HULA uses oil paints and mediums made with alkali-refined linseed oil or safflower oil and natural pigments.