Japanese-Korean artist Colleen Kimura got her start as a fashion designer in Hawaiʻi during the Hawaiian cultural resurgence of the 1970s. From 1972 to 1978 she ran Kimura’s—a studio, gallery, and venue in Mōʻiliʻili, Oʻahu. In 1980, shortly after returning home to Hawaiʻi from Fiji, where she was stationed for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Colleen transformed Kimura’s into TUTUVI. Named after the Fijian word meaning “to wrap oneself up,” TUTUVI was a direct outcome of her experiences abroad, an eclectic mix of cultural practices and aesthetic concerns. This short artist video offers a small glimpse into Colleen’s life, work, community, and collaborations over the past fifty years.
