Aloha De Mele

JT Ojerio is a self-taught artist that was born and raised on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawai’i. For most her life she was obsessed with sports and fitness and was always competing year round in Wrestling or Judo. After graduating high school she first moved to Colorado for college, then on to Chicago to finish her Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology and a certificate in Pain Medicine.

In 2017, JT discovered her love for drawing by chance after she suffered a hip injury that resulted in reconstructive surgery and a long recovery process away from home. While resting for most of that winter, she was able to explore her creative side for the first time and began drawing images that reminded her of Hawaii and the aloha spirit she missed so much. She quickly fell in love with the peace drawing gave her and continued on after her recovery with her best friend at her side, her pup Mele.