Located nearly 3,000 miles from the closest continent, the islands of Hawaii operate with their own distinct set of cultural and social norms. The consciousness of land and sea is fundamental to its residents. The reality is that cultural identity, wealth distribution and social mobility of Hawaii's residents frequently contrasts with its idyllic backdrop. O’ahu continues the tradition of surveying the American social landscape, focusing on Hawaii, the only state physically set apart from the US cross-country highways. Avoiding over-simplified assumptions perpetuated by the tourist industry, I examine the relationship between the people who inhabit O'ahu and the landscape that binds them all together. These photographs offer an investigation of the archipelago’s unique identity and geography.
Phil Jung Photography
Phillip Jung currently lives and works in both Honolulu and Boston. He teaches at the University of Hawaii throughout the school year and at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design through the summer.