Lehuauakea
E Hele I Ka Pō Mālie
Earth Pigments on Hand-beaten Kapa
Qajar Gallery

Artist Statement

This piece, hand-painted on kapa (barkcloth) entirely in gathered earth pigments from Maui and Oregon, honors my daughter born of the night. Knowing that I will one day be able to reunite with her in spirit, this kapa represents her ʻuhane joining her ancestors on the other side. For Native Hawaiians, we know that those who pass on are still with us and have not left entirely; rather they have simply returned to the source, Pō.

Lehuauakea

Lehuauakea is a Native Hawaiian interdisciplinary artist and kapa maker from Pāpaʻikou, Hawaiʻi. With a particular focus on the labor-intensive making of kapa (barkcloth), ʻohe kāpala (carved bamboo printing tools) and use of natural pigments, Lehua is able to breathe new life into patterns and traditions practiced for generations. Through these traditional Native Hawaiian craft practices, their work addresses themes of environmental relations, cultural reclamation and contemporary Kānaka Maoli identity.