In Kaua’i, there’s no space for inauthenticity. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, what clothes you wear or where you come from, all locals want to know is whether you have a good soul. It’s the perfect antithesis to cities like New York and Los Angeles, between which photographer Vivian Kim splits her time, and where hustle culture and the relentless pursuit of materialistic pleasures and career success led her to burnout. Earlier this year, Vivian carved out time each month to spend on Hawaii’s fourth largest island — one she’s been visiting for the past decade — to reset, and chronicled the place that healed her in a new book called Island Time.
In part, it was the landscape that helped: the dense jungle and dramatic ridges with their showstopping views of the frothing ocean below; the red dirt roads where chickens wander freely; and the isolated beaches: “Oftentimes, I look up at a mountain and I can physically feel the weight of its presence,” Vivian explains. “You just really feel the energy of the land. When it rains, you feel everything washing away. When it’s hot, the sun is blistering and scorching hot and will literally burn you.”
Life on the island was slower and simpler: Vivian woke up to the cock-a-doodle-doo of the roosters and went for morning swims. She explored the dusty roads and the ocean by boat, watching dolphins splash beside the stern, sometimes fishing for her dinner. She surfed with her friends, and would end each day watching the clouds blush pink as the sun descended. “You can hike to the wettest spot on Earth, you can hide away in the jungle for weeks without seeing another person,” Vivian says. It was a versatile existence rooted in nature, where she enjoyed spending time alone and with her own thoughts.
But it was the kindness and generosity of the island’s community that gave Vivian the clarity she needed. At the heart of Hawaiian culture is the concept of ‘ohana: that families, whether blood-related or adopted, are bound together and responsible for one another. It comes from the word ʻohā, which is the root of the taro plant, a staple food for native Hawaiians — the Kānaka Maoli— who believe it to be the source of life.
Vivian was touched by the families that shared their ancient traditions with her and the friends who welcomed her into their homes for backyard potlucks. “I feel so humbled and grateful when I think about my community on Kaua’i,” she shares. “No matter how many years pass or how much things change, I know that I will always feel at home with them. I feel like I’m always on the receiving end. People here are always taking care of each other.”
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Island Time captures the duality of Hawaii‘s Garden Isle that has doubled in population in the last century, with multimillion dollar properties and luxury developments sprouting, but where the local population still cling to a way of life they’ve enjoyed for thousands of years. The book is a celebration of locals and longtime residents like the surfboard designer Terry Chung and world surfing champion and co-founder of Quiksilver, Jeff Hakman. There’s BASA, a white-haired glasser for some of the top shapers (people who design and build surfboards), captured with a cigarette dangling from his mouth; and Wendell Goo, a master fisherman and net maker. There are photos of builders, horse riders and the local children, growing up largely without the pressures of the internet, completely present and in tune with their surroundings. In a series of portraits, she celebrates a family at their beachside shack surrounded by jungle, as they hold and chase chickens around their lawn.
There’s a warmth to the images and they’re beautiful in their intimacy. Many of the people that fill the pages are Vivian’s friends, like Hanalei, who’s captured against the backdrop of the Limahuli Garden and Preserve, a 17-acre botanical garden and 985-acre preserve on the north shore of Kauaʻi, that his family manages; and sisters Mainei and Maluhia Kinimaka, who embrace at twilight after a day of surfing. Vivian relied on Ryan Hakman and Ke’ale Chung of ‘Ohanalei, a gallery that celebrates local artists, to connect her to the island’s stalwarts, those that have grown up in accordance with the elements in Kaua’i.
“Something the island constantly teaches me is to let go of control and to live in acceptance. As we cannot control the weather, we cannot control what happens in our lives. Instead, we are able to appreciate the present moment more deeply, and enjoy those who are around us,” she says. “Life on Kaua’i for me feels timeless, exhilarating and profound. I hope viewers of the book see that no matter where they may be in the world, those feelings can be found through simple activities and perspective.”
Island Time is a collaboration between Vivian Kim and ‘Ohanalei gallery, with layout and design by Brett Dalzell and Sophia Marinelli. All net proceeds will be donated to local Kaua’i organisations. You can purchase it here.
Credits
Photography Vivian Kim