Oct 6, 2026 · @Gabi
Beneath the surface of Maui's waters lies a world most of us never see. Kelly Hsiao brings it to light.
Kelly is an award-winning fine art photographer based here on Maui. Her dreamlike underwater images feel less like photographs and more like visions. They are full of wonder, movement and the quiet magic of the ocean. We are honored to share her work at Aurora.
From New York to the Deep Blue
Kelly earned her BFA in Photography with honors from Pratt Institute in New York. She then found her true muse in the ocean.
Her work has since traveled far beyond the islands. She has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Vienna and Barcelona, and at art fairs including Art Basel Miami and the LA Art Fair. She received the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, and her photographs have appeared in luxury and fine art publications.
The Work
Kelly's photographs explore wonder, transformation and our connection to the natural world. Her ethereal subjects seem to float between light and water, somewhere between the real world and a dream.
Her NOCTURNE collection was born from night dives, when the ocean reveals an entirely different kind of beauty. It was exhibited at Agora Gallery in New York in 2025.
Kelly's love for the ocean goes beyond the lens. She donates part of the proceeds from her award-winning image "Emergence" to the Marine Institute at Maui Ocean Center to help protect sea turtles. Her collaborative work has also supported cleanups that remove plastic from Maui's coastlines.
At Aurora, her art sits naturally beside our crystals. Both are treasures shaped by the earth and sea, and both remind us how much magic is already all around us.
See Kelly's Work at Aurora
Visit us at 3620 Baldwin Ave in Makawao to see a selection of Kelly's photographs in person. They are even more breathtaking up close.
Explore more of her work at kellyhsiao.com.
