Tropic Editions (est. 2018) is a nonprofit publishing imprint based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Our mission is to promote the advancement and appreciation of artists’ books and to connect the arts and cultures of Hawai‘i to the tropical diaspora worldwide.

Our publishing program produces artists’ books, zines, prints, films, exhibitions, performances, and more, with an emphasis on queer and Indigenous knowledge, and transoceanic solidarities. We aim to draw Hawaiʻi into an existing global discourse on tropicality, post-colonialism, and creative production in the tropics. We accept and consider project proposals from artists, art collectives, and organizers year-round.

The imprint has been represented in art book fairs and shops aross North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia, however, our priority is local community-building and collaborations which (re)connect artists of tropical diaspora through our extended network of belonging. Because we are a small imprint, we prioritize direct sales via our website and in-person events. Our distribution network includes a number of US and international stockists.

Fairs
Printed Matter Virtual Art Book Fair
San Francisco Art Book Fair
New York Art Book Fair
Independent Art Book Fair (Brooklyn)
Los Angeles Art Book Fair
Hawaiʻi Zine Fest
Honolulu Print and Book Fair
Cebu Zine Fest (Philippines)
FLAT Art Book Fair (Torino, Italy)
Odds and Ends Art Book Fair (Yale University)
Chicago Art Book Fair 

Collaborations & Co-Publishing
Puʻuhonua Society (Oʻahu)
Parking Lot Press (Bangkok)
Single Double (Oʻahu)
Kekahi Wahi (Oʻahu)
Make Visible (Oʻahu)
Hoʻākea Source (Hawaiʻi)
Aupuni Space (Oʻahu)
Hawaiʻi Contemporary
multi. projects (Honolulu/NYC)
For Freedoms (USA)
Tropical Futures Institute
and more!

Tropic Editions is grateful to have received support from the following organizations: Pu‘uhonua Society, Atherton Family Foundation, and the Ruth Foundation for the Art.

Marika Emi Founder & Executive Director
Marika is an arts organizer and curator born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. For the last two decades, her practice has included studio work, design and curatorial projects, community outreach and education, and producing events bridging the gap between culinary and visual arts. From 2015 to 2018, she was a member of artist collective PARADISE COVE. She served as a director of Aupuni Space from 2020 to 2023. She is currently completing a Masters in American Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Tiffany Beam Publications Program Manager
Tiffany is a curator, artist, writer, and educator based in Hawaiʻi with a decade of experience in understanding the dynamic interplay of art, society, and politics. She is a child of the Mongolian, Chinese, and Taiwanese diasporas, born and raised in the ancestral home of the Muscogee Nation, otherwise known as Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science with a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Josh (Kanaka ʻŌiwi) is a Honolulu-based independent curator, writer, weaver, and community arts organizer from Pauoa, Kona, Oʻahu, where he continues to live. Previously, he served as the Associate Director of Hawaiʻi Contemporary, and the Associate Director of Puʻuhonua Society. In 2022, he was named an Independent Curators International Curatorial Research Fellow alongside Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick. Together, they developed ʻAi Pōhaku, Stone Eaters, a multi-site exhibition and publication of Kānaka ʻŌiwi contemporary art co-curated with Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu.

Mele Hamasaki is a designer & producer from Kāne'ohe based in Honolulu and Los Angeles. She is loyal to the craft of design and loves telling a good story, whether through film, a website, or live production. Her mission is exquisite equilibrium - the everyday remembering to cultivate and nourish our relationship to the natural world, the spiritual world, our communities, our families, and ourselves. 

Ayaka Takao (she/they) is a New York based artist, educator, and cultural worker born in Japan and raised in Honolulu. Her broader practice spans ceramics, painting, writing, and the world-wide-web, guided by an enduring interest in humanity, harmony, and love. You can find Ayaka at Index, where she tends to the space and community as a Studio Manager.

Leimomi Bong is an ʻŌiwi futurist, builder, and producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio. She leads the program Social Innovation for Lāhui Outcomes (SOIL) at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, exploring culturally grounded approaches to physical AI and island scale technology ventures. Born in Kealakekua, Leimomi lives and loves in Kakuhihewa.

Akemi Hiatt is currently building OurSpace, a nonprofit makerspace supporting local creatives, innovators, and small businesses. For over a decade, she has served as design strategist and co-owner of Hidden Gears, a boutique digital agency that has helped more than 200 brands grow. Previously, she held marketing director roles at arts and community nonprofits in New York and continues to support projects that sustain Hawaiʻi’s creative economy.