Bishop Museum unveils Ea Mai ‘Eiwa: Patterns of Practice exhibition honoring Kanakaʻole family legacy
The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is presenting a new exhibition starting April 18.
The exhibition, “Ea Mai ‘Eiwa: Patterns of Practice,” will feature the work of Nālani Kanakaʻole, Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane. A Hilo, Hawai’i-based family of artists whose work is rooted in hula ‘aiha’a.
The exhibition is in reference to “Kūhaʻimoana,” a chant that decibels the migration of shark gods from Kahiki, ancestral homelands, to Hawai’i. The exhibit works with both new and old botanical specimens and cultural treasures from the Bishop Museum’s collection to showcase this story.
“‘Kūha’imoana,’ for me, has many layers to it,”Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane said. “On a first take, it’s a migratory chant that compares migrations to waves of ocean-navigating sharks. That metaphor sets out the tone of connectivity between our natural environment and the beings that inhabit it.”
Highlights of the “Ea Mai ‘Eiwa: Patterns of Practice” exhibit include:
- Nālani Kanakaʻole’s kite installation, Kūhaʻimoana, her last large-scale installation before her passing
- Archival hula ʻaʻahu (hula garments) and implements designed by Nālani Kanakaʻole and made by students of Hālau o Kekuhi
- New and archival sketches and rubylith artworks by Sig Zane from 1990 to present
- A collection of family photos from the Kanakaʻole ʻOhana
- Memorabilia and ephemera from the theatrical performance, “Holo Mai Pele” (1995-2000)
The exhibit will be open from April 18 to Sept. 20. It will be presented in both Hawaiian and English.
