Hi and Hello World

Apia created the Hi and Hello World almost 15 years ago and took a long time for her to share it completely. She built it over what she feels was a gift when she needed strength to endure what she was experiencing in life. She felt as blobs of color and energy were supporting her and taking over so she could be ok when things in her life were devastating. Her decision to share it, came when she noticed how her child engaged with it and since, with every new installation, new stories are shared as to how this place has touched and transformed people of all ages.

The theory behind the Hi and Hello World is that here everyone is welcome and understood. Each one of the characters display signs, which represent a unique way to convey messages, making it easier for everyone to understand each other. The signs show the message in the exact language or form in which it will be better perceived and understood. They appeared like magic to each one of the characters in this world.

Recently she started writing stories about her experience in the form of children's books that she is planning to publish soon, and when writing she came to the conclusion that the names she had given the characters were in fact, their nicknames, and she learned more about them with every word that came to her stories. So the actual names of the main characters are: Lumi, known as “Hi”, she paints the skies with the colors of the rainbow; Zephyr, known as “Hello”, She creates songs with the wind; Kael known as “Hola”, he makes nature bloom; Nova known as “Konnichiwa”, she makes the stars sparkle and Rowan, known as “Coucou” who makes the rivers (water) glisten, with him everything sparkles.

Apia named them as greetings because that is the first word that welcomes you to a conversation and the starting process of opening to one another.

Through Hi and Hello World, Apia invites visitors into a realm where connection and empathy flourish. Each character embodies the essence of welcoming and understanding with their symbolic greetings and vibrant personas. As Apia prepares to share these stories and artworks with the world, her journey of discovery continues to unfold, revealing the transformative power of art to unite and inspire.