A street artist from Hawaii has accepted the challenge of creating a giant work of art in Saint John alongside the Bay of Fundy.
Sean "Hula" Yoro needs to take a paddleboard to get to his jobsite – a concrete wall that he’s transforming into a work of art.
Yoro’s work schedule depends on the tide.
“This is definitely a project I won't forget,” Yoro says. “"We've been out at midnight, past midnight with headlamps. We catch a couple hours of sleep and come out again.”
Yoro has worked on projects all over the world, including under challenging environmental conditions.
Yoro was at Saint John’s waterfront Tuesday doing site preparation, but he’s already attracted curious onlookers – including well-known local artist Herzl Kashetsky.
"I'm just fascinated by the fact that he's working on such a large scale and in such a difficult situation, up and down with the tide and against a concrete wall," says Kashetsky.
Officials at City Hall first saw Yoro on American television.
“We sent him a message and said, ‘Have you ever heard of the highest tides on the planet? Because we've got them here in Saint John and we'd love to host you," says Victoria Clarke of Discover Saint John.
At low tide, the wall towers about 27 feet above the artist.
"I've designed like 15 different pieces for this wall just because I was so excited,” says Yoro. “We've kind of narrowed it down to one, but it was really exciting just to think of all the possibilities.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
