Keith Tallett is a mixed media artist born and raised in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. A second-generation surfboard shaper and tattoo practitioner of traditional Polynesian patterns, his work explores the intersection of cultural knowledge, contemporary art, and material experimentation.
Tallett holds an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and a BA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He has exhibited at venues such as Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Track 16 Gallery in Los Angeles, and Franklin Parrasch Gallery in New York. His recent exhibitions include Ke Ao Lama, Enlightened World at Capitol Modern, Hawai‘i State Foundation
on Culture and the Arts (2024); ‘Ai Pōhaku, Stone Eaters at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa & Kapiʻolani Community College (2023); Hana No Ke Au Hou at Wailoa Center, Hilo (2023); and Watermark at ATE (Above the Equator) Gallery, Hilo (2021).
Tallett’s work is part of several public collections, including the Honolulu Museum of Art, which acquired his work from the Hawai‘i In Design exhibition in 2017, and the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which purchased two works from ‘Ai Pōhaku, Stone Eaters for its permanent collection in 2023.
Beyond his studio practice, Tallett is deeply engaged in arts education, curriculum development, and cultural mentorship. He has designed and implemented culturally grounded art curricula for middle school, high school, and college students, integrating Hawaiian values and practices. His teaching experience includes diverse courses in painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture, fostering creativity and technical skills. He has also developed and led innovative courses such as Ka Hana Noʻeau: Form, Function, and Cultural Practice, which
bridges traditional Hawaiian art forms with contemporary methods.
Tallett’s commitment to education extends into therapeutic and community-based settings, where he has used art as a tool for self-expression and healing, particularly for middle and high school students and individuals with developmental disabilities. A dedicated lifelong learner, he actively pursues mentorships, workshops, and internships to deepen his knowledge in Hawaiian cultural practices, ‘āina-based sustainability, and traditional arts, sharing these skills through community workshops and educational programming. In addition to his solo practice, Tallett collaborates with artist Sally Lundburg under the name Les Filter Feeders. The duo participated in the Present Project International residency in Oʻahu
(2014) and have exhibited widely, including The Rat and The Octopus (Maui Arts and Cultural Center, 2016), The Middle of Now | Here (Honolulu Biennial, 2017), and Tropical Disturbance (The Luggage Store, San Francisco, 2018).
See more of Keith’s work at www.keithtallett.com.
