We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Bendo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Although I currently live in Oahu, I was born and raised on the island of Guam. Being from an island has greatly influenced my art and inspiration. I never truly appreciated what I had grown up around until I moved to the mainland for my college studies.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I create art on local Hawaiian woods using a variety of techniques, such as wood burning, painting, carving, and resining. I have always thought that wood was naturally beautiful. So I decided to use that as my canvas rather than the typical cloth canvas. I started with watercolor on wood, but then switched over to acrylic which shows up better. And then I started adding resin to complete my ocean water scenes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oahu has the typical tourist spots which are fun to check out at least once. I would also explore the island with a variety of hikes and beach visits.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My success is due to my family who has always supported me and continues to support my artistic efforts today.

Website: www.christianbendoart.com

Instagram: @christianbendo

Linkedin: Christian Bendo

Facebook: Christian Bendo Art

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