Zane Mathias has been a photographer in the Islands for over three decades. And, while his career has taken him all over the world, he always returns to a small banana patch on the Valley Isle for inspiration. “It’s here in the late 90’s, that I became obsessed with banana leaves,” recalls Zane. “I just can’t get them out of my thoughts.”

“It’s hypnotic to observe the color green as it slowly passes through the spectrum. From the squeaky clean yellow-green of a baby leaf as it uncurls and meets the world, to the wind-frayed edges of a mature leaf slowly morphing from olive drab to the burnt crinkly, parchment feel as it nears the end of its cycle. It is the definition of biodegradable.
 
Through Zane’s lens and computer the leaves are given new life. They become highways... waves... landing strips... tornadoes or undulating trees. Very 3-dimensional “innies” become “outies” in the blink of an eye. Always turning over new leaves, Zane never knows where the road will take him.
 
Zane lives with his wife Beth and two cats in Ha’iku, just at the edge of the Maui rainforest.