If you live in Hawai‘i, chances are you’ve seen Jordan Higa’s artwork. 

Perhaps the “Rainbow Connection” mural in the Salt Lake Target, or the makai-inspired paint designs brightening up buildings in Kaimukī. Higa also has her own greeting card line, watercolor pieces, and collaborations with local brands both big and small, from textile prints for Fighting Eel to patterns for Ava & Oliver baby goods. 

But years ago, Higa never imagined this would be her reality. 

She left the islands to attend the University of San Francisco, where she earned a degree in design. Higa always loved art, but fresh out of high school, pursuing a fine arts education seemed like a daunting, uncharted path. Design was stable, tied to careers in visual communications with problem-solving and marketing for clients. 

“I just saw that all the things that I love to do, you know, analog with my hands, could all combine into this career of graphic design,” said Higa. 

After college, Higa landed an internship with a signage firm, where she helped design various signs used to help people locate and orient themselves in a new place, like signs that identify parks, stadiums, and bathrooms. She also worked with fashion brands and studied watercolor at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. 

Even with these new educational and career opportunities, Higa felt incomplete.

“To be honest, I was feeling a little discouraged about the work that I was doing, and wasn’t really sure what to do next,” said Higa. “I think I was also really just missing creating art.”

For Higa, California and New York were steps along the way, not her final destination.

“The whole time I was in New York, I knew that it was never going to be where I lived permanently—that it was a place that I could learn from and have a lot of these great work experiences, and it was just a matter of time until I felt like I achieved what I needed to so that I could move back, or move on to the next place,” said Higa.

As it turned out, moving back home to Hawai‘i was exactly what Higa needed. In 2015, she returned to Honolulu and eased her way back into exploring her true passion: art, especially illustrating and painting.

“I realized when I moved back home, that this is just who I am,” said Higa. “This is what I know. This is the culture I know. This is what I’m proud of, and this is what I want to share with people.”

Higa moved back in with her family, and during the day, worked full-time in the local marketing and communications industry. During the evenings and weekends, creating artwork became a part-time job for her.

It was during these in-between moments that Higa started her signature greeting card collection. 

“This greeting card line was really just about sharing the quirks of Hawai‘i—everyday Hawai‘i,” said Higa, “It’s been dedicated to that ever since I started it. I was able to connect with so many people through this line.”

In 2024, Higa transitioned out of her office job at iQ 360 to focus entirely on freelancing by  “embracing an illustration-driven design path.” However, with her design skills, she has been able to maintain relationships with both her former agency and clients.

Now, Higa describes herself as “a multi-hyphenate everything.”

In her capacity as an artist-designer-illustrator-painter-businesswoman, Higa is navigating a balance between making a living and finding joy in creating art. Sometimes, that looks like saying yes to every project. Other times, it looks like taking a step back and focusing on production rather than making creative decisions.

Every so often, doubt creeps in, and Higa considers going back to a full-time job. But while some days are slower than others, she has learned: “the work always comes in.”

On a typical day, she and her husband, fellow artist Noa Emberson, work back-to-back in their home office. Nestled in the lush Pauoa valley, their home is filled wall-to-wall with their artwork and pieces collected from friends and family. 

Next on the horizon for Higa? An art show in Japan in collaboration with Emberson, who is known for his geometric-style screenprinting. She also plans to continue her journey into freelancing by establishing her brand and continuing to explore her ever-evolving style.

“It’s something that I’m still getting used to, something that I’m still figuring out for sure,” said Higa.

Currently, she is most proud of her watercolor pieces: hyper-realistic portrayals of natural elements found in Hawai‘i, from fruits and fish to flowers and shells. 

“They take a lot of time and a lot of focus—there’s no shortcuts,” said Higa.

Her watercolors can be found on display in the Greenroom Gallery, on a product illustration for Califia Farms, and across the pages of Aloha Kitchen Cookbook and Condé Nast Traveler’s “The Black Book.”

If asked about her favorite pieces a year ago, she might have given a different answer. In a few months, it still might change. 

To explore Higa’s wide range of artwork and styles, visit her website at hontashiga.com. From abstract line-work to realism, and tiny greeting cards to large-scale murals, Higa can do it all. 

“I don’t identify as one thing at all, in my career, in my aesthetic,” said Higa, “I really consider myself to be this creative chameleon, the kind that enjoys adapting to whatever the project needs.”