A new exhibit at Bishop Museum in Honolulu will feature Hilo artists whose work is rooted in hula and Native Hawaiian culture.
“Ea Mai ‘Eiwa: Patterns of Practice” will showcase hula garments designed by the late kumu hula Nālani Kanaka‘ole and made by her students of Hālau o Kekuhi; sketches and rubylith artworks by her widow Sig Zane; a collection of family photos from the Kanaka‘ole family; and a memorabilia and ephemera from the theatrical performance, “Holo Mai Pele.”
Kauʻi Kanaka‘ole is the exhibit’s co-curator and Nālani’s niece.
“The story is rooted in hula, which is part of our lineage in our family,” she said.
The exhibit will come three months after Nālani Kanaka‘ole died. It also comes as Merrie Monarch celebrated its 50th year of kāne dancing hula.
Kauʻi said it’s important to celebrate kūpuna who stood up for their culture during the Hawaiian Renaissance.
“The grieving is definitely real because those kūpuna aren’t here with us as Aunty Nālani isn’t and many others who have paved the way for many practices,” she said.
The exhibit's title translates to “here are the nine.” It references “Kūhaʻimoana,” a chant describing the migration of shark gods from Kahiki to Hawai‘i.
“The nine sharks are people, ali‘i or kūpuna that came in different waves of migration,” Kanaka‘ole said. “With them, they brought their cultural practices, they brought the way they looked at the world, and how to create a healthy ʻāina for their ʻohana.”
One of her favorite pieces from the exhibits are the kites that hang from the ceiling. Those kites were created by Nālani before she died.
“The kites are a beautiful representation of who she was and her creative genius of how she thought about culture, hula, mele and story telling,” Kauʻi said.
Sig Zane, the co-founder of the Hilo-based clothing brand Sig Zane Designs and the husband of the late Nālani Kanaka‘ole, will have his new art pieces installed May 16. Their son, Kūhaʻo Zane, will have his art installed June 14.
Kauʻi said her aunt would’ve been proud of the exhibit.
“I wish she was here,” Kauʻi said. “To be able to honor her in this way is beautiful, and we’re so grateful for her.”
The exhibit opens April 18.
