Exhibition
He Aka Exhibition
Mai ka piko o Mauinuiakama a i ka pukana ka lā i ka mole ʻo Alau a i ka wewelo hoʻi ma Pāpōhaku i ʻauʻau i Kaiwi ē. Piʻo mai nei ke aka o lalo i ʻike maila ke aka lehulehu o nā kupu, nā muʻo, nā liko, nā lau, nā lala, nā kumu, nā kumu paʻa hina ʻole ē. Mai ka pō mai ka iwi hilo o ka honua a i ka iwi hilo o nā ʻōlelo makua i paʻa maila ke aka anahā i hū aʻela ka mana o nā hulu kūpuna. Eiʻa nō e kū nei!
From the very center of Mauinuiakama where the first sun rays burst forth at Alau to the setting rays of the sun at Pāpōhaku that swims out to Kaiwi. The images arch forward toward us and showcase the multitude of faces from inception to the bud, to the leaf, to the branch, to the trunk, and to the sage wisdom of well rooted ancestors. From the depths of our world to the fundamental voices of our ancestors to the ancestral spirit guided in our esteemed elders, we stand! An image, our image, never to fade.
This collaborative presentation is interwoven by five concepts: mana, aloha, ʻike papalua, maoli ola, and wailua — guiding both the works on view and the curatorial approach.
Mana | Here, is understood not simply as “power,” but as authority earned through mastery of one’s practice.
Aloha | A word of many definitions but speaking, in this context, to compassion, kindness, grace, and deep affection to our craft.
ʻIke papalua | naming the capacity to perceive simultaneously the spiritual and physical realms, and to draw upon the breadth of knowledge that lies between them.
Maoli ola | articulating an Indigenous vision of well-being. Health held in balance with land, community, and spirit.
Wailua reminding/to remind us that our presence on this material plane is sustained by those who dwell beyond the veil; their guidance courses through our hands, our bodies, and our innermost being to create, to navigate, and to emulate the energies of those we represent.
Taken together, these principles invite you to engage with each object not only as an artwork, but as a vessel of lineage, an echo of energies, voices, and responsibilities carried forward.
So, for those who have come from around the world, those who come from our islands near, for those who come from Oʻahu, may we understand that we are all fortunately privileged to be images of our ancestors, those that have laid foundations for us to be present today to witness this work.
May your experience of He Aka be one of respectful encounter, thoughtful reflection, and renewed connection to the ancestral currents that shape us all.
May your ears be filled by the voices of our kūpuna, ancestral knowledge grounded by the inner core of foundational pōhaku (stone) and woven so gently by the hulu (feather work) guided by hands of many that have come before us. We are their image, He Aka.
Expert stone-on-stone carver (kālai pōhaku). Cultural advisor, teacher, and lecturer who transforms stone into powerful cultural expressions.
Kahuna Nui of Puʻukoholā Heiau And Kumu Hula of Nā Hanona Kūlike ʻO Piʻilani on the Island of Maui.
Cultural practitioner and artist who specializes in feather lei (lei hulu), woodcarving, and natural fiber arts.