about
about
Tea Oshita (they/he) is a ceramicist with a background in drawing, crochet, and design currently working towards their BFA at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Previously, they designed for UHM’s student-run newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, receiving third place for Best Newspaper Entertainment Page at the 2023 Pinnacle College Media Association Awards. In Spring 2026, they were featured in Boundless: 2026 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition.
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With a focus on ceramic sculpture and drawing, my work deals with aspects of humanity through an approach tied to my experiences as a mixed Asian queer and trans artist. My ceramics style is mainly abstract, based on manmade objects to reflect the issues humanity has created and must now bear the consequences of. I often deconstruct, fractalize, and repeat forms, and I give my works an additional humanistic feel through handbuilding. My drawings take on a more representative style, with primary subject matters being people and the human body. My overarching goal is to call attention to social, political, and environmental issues through my work, raising awareness, pushing for solutions, and instilling hope for a better future. I also want to share my simultaneous struggle with and appreciation for my transness, pride in my mixed Asian heritage, and the many valuable lessons I have learned growing up in Hawaiʻi.
Education
2026 BFA (in progress), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
2022 Valedictorian, Mililani High School, Mililani, HI
Exhibitions
2026 Boundless: 2026 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, Honolulu, HI
Achievements
2023 Third Place Award, Best Newspaper Entertainment Page, Pinnacle College Media Association Awards, Albany, NY
Work Experience
2023-2024 Graphic Designer, Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
2023-2024 Print Editor, Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
2023 Associate Design Editor, Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
Tea Oshita
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2500 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 384-4909
teaoshita@gmail.com