Meet Mark Chai.
If you’ve been to Queens Medical Center you may have passed him in the hallways.
He’s a patient transporter at the hospital – going on 20 years. But, when he’s not pushing around patients, he’s searching for his next great piece of art.
"When I started seeing what they were throwing away in X-ray I said ‘hey I could use that’," he says.
See, Mark’s secret life outside of work, is turning one man’s trash into treasure…. literally. Taking home cardboard cast-offs the hospital had destined for the garbage dump and turning them into something special.
At his Kailua studio garage he recycles old X-ray film boxes into luminaries.
"One side has a design cut out, this right here is a lotus flower," he points out.
He made a few for some nurses, and word soon spread through the hospital.
"They’re so used to seeing you as a transporter and they don’t really think what you do outside of the hospital and when they do find out ‘oh really, wow I would never think of that’."
Now old cafeteria trays, medical supplies and plastic jugs are saved and set aside for Mark.
"The Biomedical people have been saving these 5 gallon jugs for me," he points out. "I’ve gotten into experimenting with melting things, I’ve gotten into making these kind of alien things."
But it’s not just a hobby, his passion for recycled art has become a business.
"They didn’t take me seriously until I got into some recycled art show and they said hey that was made by that transporter guy."
More than just a transporter guy – Mark has made a name for himself as an award-winning artist. His unique pieces are on display at art museums and local business across Oahu.
"You can see the earlier ones at "Town" restaurant in Kaimuki, they’re kind of catching on," he says, holding up one of his lamps.
And if you look closely during a hospital scene in the new film the Descendants, you’ll see a cardboard sign of the word "Aloha", created by Mark.
"I was really surprised, and was ‘hey that’s one of my signs’," he says. "I was jokingly telling someone now my artwork is in the Best Picture for Golden Globes."
So Mark’s secret life as an artist, likely won’t stay secret for long. But, don’t expect him to quit his day job anytime soon.
Click here to visit the Mark Chai Arts Website
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
