University of Denver Autumn 2024

ARTS & CULTURE

Through the Eyes of a Student Photographer

By Emma Atkinson

“Hawai‘i, Uncovered” reveals a side of the islands that goes unseen by vacationers.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, physiology and art student Lauren Tapper says that when she came to the mainland, she noticed a discrepancy between what outsiders believe about the Hawaiian Islands and what she knows to be true. So she chose her home state as the subject of her undergraduate research project, which she presented at the annual Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Showcase last spring. The black and white photos of “Hawai‘i, Uncovered,” Tapper says, are meant to explore

the “conflicting aspects of identity” in Hawai’i by distinguishing the popular perception of the state from the realities experienced by locals. Her photos capture the subjects—landscapes, people and urban scenes—through a candid and observational lens. “The idea of community and belonging are both the saving grace and downfall of these islands, allowing many to be proud and excited about who they are while also leaving some cast out and forgotten,” Tapper says. “Both the romanticized and ignored aspects of these islands are what make the

This page: Surfers converse after a morning in the water. Opposite page, clockwise from top: Hand making a pikake lei at the Hilo farmers market; tourists stop for ice cream along the famous road to Hana.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2024