Purdy

"Who Says Cowboys Ain't Purdy"

This print celebrates the enduring legacy of Ikua Purdy, one of Hawaiʻi's greatest Paniolo and a legendary figure who helped place Hawaiian cowboy culture on the world stage.

Blending historical storytelling with the bold visual language of Andy Warhol's Pop Art, the artwork transforms Purdy into a contemporary icon. Four repeated portraits rendered in saturated magenta, gold, and sepia tones create a striking sense of rhythm and reverence, elevating a historic Hawaiian cowboy into the realm of modern cultural mythology.

Ikua Purdy forever changed Western history when he won the 1908 World Roping Championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming, stunning audiences and proving that Hawaiian Paniolo belonged among the world's greatest cowboys. A grandson of Waimea settler Jack Purdy, he became one of Hawaiʻi's most celebrated horsemen and was later recognized as the first Hawaiian nominated to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The print is both a tribute and a statement: the story of the American West cannot be told without Hawaiʻi's Paniolo.