Raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Kaili Chun draws deep inspiration from her Hawaiian heritage, using her art to explore the interconnectedness of people, place, and time. Her diverse training began with an A.B. in Architecture from Princeton University, where she studied under renowned ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu, a mentorship that had a profound influence on her approach to form, materiality and installation. Chun also apprenticed under Wright Elemakule Bowman, Sr., a Master woodworker and canoe builder, where she learned traditional Hawaiian woodworking techniques, further grounding her practice in the cultural traditions of her ancestors. She later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she is Assistant Professor of Native Hawaiian Visual Art.

Chun’s artistic practice spans an array of mediums, including installations and sculptures. Her work is characterized by an integration of traditional Hawaiian forms and practices with contemporary design elements, resulting in site-specific installations that evoke contemplation on the relationship between humans and the environment. Through her work, Chun engages with Hawaiian values such as mālama ʻāina (care for the land), hoʻōla (healing), and kuleana (responsibility), encouraging viewers to reflect on sustainability, cultural resilience, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge.

Her installations have been exhibited in Honolulu; New York; Brisbane, Australia; Kassel, Germany;  Hong Kong; Stuttgart, Germany; and in exhibitions across the United States and other international venues.