Island Florals
Botanical Paintings By

Melissa Chimera

Melissa Chimera, a Honolulu native, is a conservationist and painter. As forester, she moved to Maui to protect The Nature Conservancy's Maui Waikamoi Preserve on Haleakala mountain. Her encounters with endangered plants unknown to most except botanists like her husband led her to paint them.

"Most think of the plumeria flower as uniquely Hawaiian, not realizing it is from another place. I want to showcase the forgotten kama'aina (islanders) as a biologist might see them under a microscope in all their variation and uniqueness. You will never see these species outside of Hawai`i. And we may never again witness their beauty if we don't protect them in our lifetime."

She is also interested in the intersection between Hawaiians and their flora, both of which are at once endangered yet resilient in the face of change.

"There is so much sensuality, grace and humility in the Hawaiian people and within their environment. I want to explore that interaction, since nature is often portrayed as removed, or lost in the distant past. I want to close that gap."