Malia Anderson is a painter and surface designer who makes colorful floral works inspired by the natural beauty within the islands of Hawai’i. Born and raised on O’ahu, Malia creates with the desire to share her admiration for the local flora. Her work is characterized by bright colors and energetic brush strokes, inviting the viewer to perceive her floral environments through a lens of wonder and enchantment. Malia aims to use her passion for artistic expression to evoke excitement and gratitude for nature within others, while also emphasizing the importance of preserving the beauty within Hawai’i’s natural environment.
Flowers have always felt like tiny pieces of magic to me.
Ever since childhood, I have been captivated by them. Growing up in O’ahu, Hawai’i, my father would always stop to pick them for me and put them in my hair, a simple, yet profound gesture that deepened my admiration for them throughout the years. Both of my grandmothers had a deep appreciation for flowers that subconsciously planted a seed in my mind as well. Visiting my grandma in Southern California meant running around her rose garden and making bouquets for the dinner table. I would then announce to my parents that when I grow up I want to be a florist. My Po Po grew orchids. During my visits to her home in San Francisco, I remember pots of them tucked in every corner of the house. Though overlooked by my younger self, they stood quietly as symbols of virtue and grace.
Nature drives my passion for creating, where floral motifs and tropical landscapes inspire me to create environments that feel both dreamlike and personal to the culture I grew up within. The flowers in Hawai’i are more than just plants; they carry memories, culture, and a sense of place. Although I am not Kanaka, the beauty, spirit, and values I’ve learned from being raised on island have profoundly shaped who I am and how I create. My work is a reflection of my gratitude for growing up in a community that lives so close to nature and honors the abundance that it provides. I strive to create art that malamas the āina and evokes the colors and energy of the islands, not to claim the Hawaiian culture as mine, but to pay homage to the influence it’s had on my life.
Working mostly with paint, color is at the heart of my process. I love experimenting with a vibrant palette and energetic brush strokes to evoke an impressionistic and almost otherworldly view of nature. I’ve recently been exploring embellishing with beads to add depth and opulence, further emphasizing the richness I see in the natural world. I aim to transform the familiarity of nature into something extraordinary, inviting people into a world where nature is elevated to its most enchanting form.