Kane'ohe teen creates poster that's 'just right'
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KANE'OHE — Thirteen-year-old Kaleena Yuen likes to get things right. It's a trait that has marked her life since she was, well, a kid, and now it has led her to the national grand prize for the GEICO Safety Belt Poster Contest.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
Yuen, who has been drawing almost daily since she was 5, said she spent at least three days perfecting the poster and continued to work on it despite her father's urging to "just turn it in."
Kaleena Yuen's winning poster has a distinct Hawaiian theme, complete with her favorite 'ukulele, shaka sign and rainbow license plate. Yuen's poster will be featured soon in GEICO television commercials.
"I wanted to get it just right," said the daughter of Brent and Ingram Yuen of Kane'ohe. She said she wanted to give the poster a distinct Hawaiian theme and added her favorite 'ukulele, the one she plays at home, to the design, which also includes a shaka sign, a rainbow license plate and a lime-green Volkswagen Beetle convertible.
Her desire for perfection also touches other parts of her life, including at Windward Nazarene Academy, where she's a straight-A honor-roll student and a member of its singing group, Ka Leo.
"She makes sure she always does her homework," said her mom, Ingram Yuen. But it's art that takes up most of her daughter's time, Ingram Yuen said, adding that Kaleena never had to be persuaded to draw and could spend up to two hours on one detail.
"She has the patience for it," she said.
Even before the latest honor, Yuen was an accomplished artist, having received honors in many local and state competitions. She has also studied art.
In the GEICO Insurance contest, the eighth-grader competed against some 1,400 students from more than 260 schools nationwide. For the first time this year all six Western region winners were from Hawai'i, beating out competitors from nine other Western states. And Yuen was one of only two national grand prize winners.
Her poster will be featured in GEICO television commercials.
Mark Brown, a local artist and Yuen's godfather, said she seems to have accomplished in her short life what other artists take much longer to do.
"Painters say it takes 10 years to be able to express yourself in your painting, but it seems like Kaleena has gone right to expressing herself, and in an Island way," Brown said.
People started to recognize Kaleena Yuen's artwork about six years ago in other contests, including at the 1996 Kahuku Elementary PTA Reflections Program (first place), a 1997 K5 Kids Club Happy Birthday Mari Contest (one of 10 winners), a 1999 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest (honorable mention), a 1999 Honolulu Academy of Arts T-shirt design contest (second place) and a 2000 Dino Art Contest for McDonald's Restaurants and Bishop Museum (Art Excellence Award).
The grand prize for the GEICO contest comes with a $500 check for art supplies for the school and $500 for the young artist.
Sen. Bob Hogue and Rep. Ken Ito attended the award ceremony at Yuen's school and presented her with certificates of recognition from their respective Houses.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
