May R. Izumi

May was born and raised in Hawaii. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her Masters of Business Administration is from the University of Hawaii, Manoa (UHM). Currently she works as a publications editor at UHM's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. May studied fine arts at UHM and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. She has participated in both solo and group exhibitions in Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Her work can be found in the collection of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, The Contemporary Museum of Honolulu, as well as private collections in Hawaii, the Mainland U.S., and abroad. www.mayizumi.com

Artist's Statement

To me thirst is a catalyst. In addition to being a physical need it is also a metaphor for deep longing. I've always associated the idea of thirst with seeking for knowledge and learning. A man works three jobs to put himself through college. A child rummages through the trash to scavenge supplies for her school assignment. As in fairy tales, the hero and heroine undertake a difficult journey to gain their heart's desire. The dragons they encounter might be more fanciful than our everyday dragons but the quest is the same—to grow and become the person you would like to be.