Christine Hitt
On the island of Oahu, the Bishop Museum has become the setting for a particularly meaningful tribute with "Ea Mai Eiwa: Patterns of Practice," an exhibition honoring the life and creative legacy of the late Nalani Kanakaole, a revered kumu hula.
Alongside Kanakaole's art, the exhibition features the work of her husband Sig Zane, an acclaimed designer and photographer, and son Kuhaoimaikalani Zane, a multidisciplinary artist. Through textiles, archival materials and immersive installations, it reflects themes of migration, resilience and ancestral knowledge.
On display until Sept. 20, the exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the renowned Hilo-based family, whose hula practices are deeply rooted in hula aihaa -- a vigorous, low-postured style of hula associated with the volcano deities Pele and Hiiaka. More than dance, hula functions as a living archive of genealogy and history passed down through chant and movement.
"This exhibition demonstrates that the gap between historic collections and contemporary art is actually smaller than people think," Sarah Kuaiwa, cocurator for the group exhibition, said in a news release. "Audiences will see how the artists use the same materials as pieces in Bishop Museum collections but in different forms. The resonance between the artist's work with mea kupuna (ancestors) is what makes Ea Mai Eiwa a uniquely Bishop Museum exhibition."
Highlights include Kanakaole's large-scale kite installation, archival hula garments and implements, Sig Zane's sketches and rubylith works as well as family photographs.