LOCAL COLOR

Alexa Horochowski 's untitled work is among the art on display at workspace in Kaimuki that explore the themes of monsters and fear.

The matter
of monsters

A new art exhibit tries to capture
our fears of what’s under the bed

By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

There are monsters under my bed! I have never seen them and can't tell you exactly what they look like, but I can sense their presence. I imagine their eyes in the darkness, following my every move.

It may not be normal for a grownups to believe in monsters -- especially because they have been told their whole life that "there is no such thing," and have had to convince their children of the same.

Koi Ozu uses handpainted clay for "Monster's Cackleberry."

But the demons tend to gather when the quiet and darkness of night, and perhaps a bout of insomnia, bring out the fears or worries of the day, including the specter of what tomorrow may bring.

In spite of what others say, I continue to perform my nightly ritual of closing each closet door before I drift off to sleep. A friend of mine does the same thing, but in strange places. A sweep of a hotel room includes a peek under the bed, in the closet, and she never forgets the shower.

We're not the only ones who think that way. "Monsters Under the Bed," an exhibit at the workspace gallery, attempts to tackle the beasts that we contend with daily.

Curator Ryan Higa is a big monster fan.

"We like to show works that spark people's curiosity, fear and wonder," he said. "Jenny Schmid's work focuses on the monsters and demons that haunt women." (Schmid is from Minnesota.)

In "Fast Girl, Knocked Up," right, Jenny Schmid explores the fears of women. Local artist Cade Roster offers up excerpts from his comic strip.

Koi Ozu and Cade Roster are the two local artists featured in the show. Roster's excerpts from his comic book are called "Gentle Play" and involve a girl who is a witness to both a murder and a kidnapping in her dreams. She finally realizes that her dreams are "a vessel of communication for the dead," said Roster.

"Everyone is more affected by this than they would like to admit," he said.

People fear the unknown, he said, and the surreal elements he employs are intended to capture those fears.

NOT EVERYTHING IS overtly scary. Ozu's ceramic pieces are more on the whimsical side. A display entitled "Cackleberry Eggs" features 30 hand-painted clay pieces. Cackleberry is a slang word for eggs, he explained.

Roster's "Gentle Play."

"I wanted to come up with something less serious, more lighthearted and fun," said Ozu. "Geckos and cockroaches can be scary. And, whenever they lay eggs, they are in groupings."

Ozu wants people to wonder what kinds of monsters laid these eggs in an assortment of shapes and colors.

"As I thought about eggs, it made me think of reproduction. Some are phallic forms, vaginal forms or clusters of objects. I was going to scare people, one way or another."

'Monsters Under the Bed' When: On display through Feb. 7 Where: workspace, 3624 Waialae Ave., Suite 201 Admission: Free Call: 732-2300

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