From Maui to Surreal Ink | An Interview with Artist Roger Lealamanua

Roger Lealamanua, known as emptypenz, is a Maui-born surreal pen and ink artist whose intricate architectural drawings blend imagination, balance, decay, and cultural grounding. We sat down with Roger to talk about how he started, why he draws directly in ink, and how Hawaiʻi lives quietly inside his work.

When did you first start taking drawing seriously?

I think I started taking drawing more seriously in 5th grade when I was first introduced to an AP art class — which replaced my PE class (lol).

That’s when I realized I actually wanted to put time into it.

I can use other mediums, but I honestly just really like the way ink looks on paper — and especially on wood. There’s something about clean, sharp black lines that just feels right. There’s no softness. No blur. Just commitment.

You don’t start with pencil — why?

Pencil feels messy to me. I don’t like the way it looks underneath ink.

I don’t sketch in pencil first. I visualize what I want to draw before placing ink on the paper. If I need to plan something complex, I’ll use .003 pen dots — almost like a secret “connect the dots” system — but in a way where nobody would even know.

It forces me to draw imaginary lines first.

Practice makes perfect. Forcing myself not to rely on a pencil rough draft taught me to slow down and really watch every line I draw.

I do make mistakes sometimes. If a line is slightly crooked, I’ll make it a little bolder to straighten it out. But that’s part of it. Ink teaches discipline.

Your work feels architectural and fragmented. Where does that come from?

Strangely enough, even though I was born in Hawaiʻi, I really like buildings. I guess it’s the “you always want what you don’t have” thing.

Everything I draw comes from imagination, but I take inspiration from how things grow and decay.

Driftwood is one of the most beautiful designs to me. Moss up close looks like miniature forests. Driftwood close up looks like alien landscapes. Even trees — how they branch and separate — becoming more complex and weaker, but still balanced by design.

I love balance and simplicity, even if the bigger picture looks complex.

From far away, I care about asymmetrical balance. I want the negative space around the composition to have a strong relationship with the edges of the wood panel. When you move closer, that’s when you start seeing all the small details — and realize every line was intentional.

I don’t zone out when I draw. It’s more like meditation. I hear the sounds around me, but I watch every single line I put down.

How does Maui live inside your work?

Honestly, when it comes to my drawings, it just feels like me.

But I’m also from Hawaiʻi.

Maybe Hawaiʻi is why I seek balance.

It’s not cliché island imagery. You won’t see waves or palm trees. But growing up in Hawaiʻi gave me a deep respect for others, for culture, and for place.

That respect carries into how I build space in my work.

And it’s also why I created SCRAP, my Hawaiʻi-inspired mobile action game. The game directly explores themes of protecting island roots and standing up for culture in a modern way.

The drawings and the game both come from the same place — just expressed differently.

Explore the Work

You can browse the full collection of surreal pen and ink drawings on the Art page.

Limited wood panel editions and available prints can be found in the Shop.

And if you’re curious how these themes extend into interactive storytelling, learn more about the Hawaiʻi-inspired mobile game SCRAP.