The Nov. 16 Akakū Upstairs salon will welcome two profound cultural muralists: Oahuʻs John ʻPrime’ Hina and Maui's Noble Richardson.

KAHULUI — On Thursday, Nov. 16, the Akakū Upstairs salon is excited to talk story with two profound cultural muralists: Oahuʻs John ʻPrime’ Hina of “Urban 808” and “DearLoveStory,” and Mauiʻs Noble Richardson of E.H.A.(Endemic Hawaiʻi Artists).

Hina is a world-renowned Native Hawaiian street artist with over 1,000 murals worldwide. After surviving a tough Oahu neighborhood and almost losing his life to gang violence, he turned his life around. In 2007, he founded Hawaiiʻs first graffiti-based art organization, Urban 808, focused on using art to mentor at-risk youth away from drug abuse, gang affiliation and violence. Through the years, he has collected traditional Hawaiian stories from generational families, and recently he began a new journey with “DearLoveStory,” sharing his passion for visual creativity with Hawaiian storytelling. His hope is to share and preserve valuable cultural stories for future ancestors.

Richardson carries the fingerprint of who he is in his artwork through the strengths of his Maui community, where he was born and raised, and raises his own family. He created E.H.A. Murals to amplify and aid the need for sourcing local Hawaii artists to be a creative source for Mauiʻs cultural connection to the community and its economic growth. E.H.A. Murals has nearly a decade of public art relationships, including youth and volunteer mentorships. Noble is also an art instructor for many local programs and schools, including Hui Malama camps, summer intensives at UH Maui, after school programs at Liliuokalani Trust and maintaining Wailuku Elementaryʻs art program school-wide. His work is heavily influenced by Hawaiian values and culture.

Register for free at https://bit.ly/Akaku-Upstairs-Murals; seating is limited. The event will be held at Akakū’s Upstairs Media Lab, Suite 205. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Akakū Upstairs is supported in part by Bank of Hawai’i and Pacific Biodiesel.