Scene Stealers

An art piece might be sitting in a gallery, but that doesn’t mean it’s done.

Keep that in mind when looking at the mixed media sculptures by Theresa Marie Heinrich, which are on display through March 27 at Waikiki Parc Hotel’s Parc Promenade Gallery.

She categorizes her work as assemblage or sculptural collage.

“Each sculpture brings together seemingly unrelated objects, creating unique juxtapositions and combining elements in ways that surprise me, allowing the process itself to create new meanings and their own narratives,” Heinrich explains.

She likens her philosophy to a baroque, “more is more, too much is not enough” style.

Unsurprisingly, these ever-evolving creations can get pretty big — one reason why Heinrich, a Kaimuki resident, decided to move to Hawaii from the Mainland to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“I specifically went to school at UH for the art department it has, and the ceramics facilities that it offers,” says Heinrich, who praises the faculty and her fellow students.

“One of the (pottery) kilns is actually the size of a railroad car, so students could actually build something that big and be able to fire it. It’s far beyond what I could do in my own personal studio.”

Heinrich, a former competitive skier and snowboarder, seems to take her “more is more” approach to everything she does. She has a head for numbers as well as art, as she does bookkeeping and accounting for nonprofit art organizations, including Hawaii Craftsmen and The ARTS at Marks Garage.

“My mother was a CPA, and I was raised around accounting and bookkeeping principles, so I’ve always done that kind of work since I was young — actually, that came first, before the art.”

But it’s art that she has chosen to pursue full time. Heinrich is interested in going bigger (of course), by doing more large-scale murals and installations, and she’s also looking to do some private commissions.

“When I’m doing art, I just feel like it’s my purpose,” Heinrich says.

For more information or commissions, email Heinrich at theresa@theresaheinrich.com. To learn more about her Waikiki Parc exhibit, visit hawaii.edu/art.