Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 May 1989 — Artist April Drexel [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Artist April Drexel

Complex Show Weaves Kaona lnto Paintings

By Deborah Ward Editor, Ka Wai Ola O OHA "Ho'oulu Mea Kaha Ki'i," (lit. "let paintings increase"), a show of paintings by University of Hawaii art major April Aileen Hokulani Drexel reaches deep into Hawaiian symbolism and lore, weaving together with subtlety both ancient tradition and modern art. While her 12 paintings in acrylic were on display for an all too short week last month in the UH Art Building student gallery, Drexel has been invited to take her paintings next year to New Zealand for a 50th year commemoration of the Treaty of Waitangi. She is also looking for another space to present her show to the public locally. Born and raised in Wahiawa, Drexel is the daughter of Rose Waiamau Drexel of Waipouli, Kaua'i and Gilbert Daniel Drexel of Pennsylvania. She has two sisters and one brother. In 1978 she graduated from Kamehameha Schools, and is currently finishing her master of fine arts degree. Her art is deeply rooted in her strong sense of Hawaiian identity and reflects an powerful Hawaiian symbolism. The works in "Ho'oulu MeaKahaKi'i" are large, almost life size, yet they invite careful, reverent examination.

Amid the bold, bright colors Drexel has built up layer upon layer of detail. T o say there is a lot going on in her paintings is an understatement at best. She literally weaves in written chants that "narrate" the stories being told. Sometimes they are superimposed on intricately painted fragments of lauhala, forming a literal and figurative canvas on whieh her figures bring to life epie tales of Hawai'i. Also embedded in some paintings is the form of different islands, alopg with the names of places where important events occurred. The epie of Pele, volcano goddess, is featured in some aspect in nearly all of the displayed works. In Ke Aloha Loku Pele travels to Ha'ena in her spirit body, where she meets the handsome Lohiau, who becomes her lover. Promising to return, she goes back to her sleeping body at Kilauea. Lohiau dies heartbroken. Meanwhile Pele sends her sister Hi'iaka to bring him to Hawai'i. Hi'iaka is a portrait of this fabled heroine. Pilialoha ("Close Friendship") Strong red and purple swaths represent the contrast between dry and wet sides of the island of Hawai'i. Pele tries out of Kilauea to instruct Hi'iaka. We see Hi'iaka's chant to the forest of Panaewa as she passes through it. Kukui leaves is a Kinolau, or body form of the demigod Kamapua'a. Lehua Maka Noe features the favored small lehua bud in the mist of Hawai'i. Hi'iaka prays for strength to her ancestress Uli, a goddess of sorcery who has the power of life or death. Hi'iaka

sets off on her journey, with her eompanion Wahineoma'o. In Ho'onahoa ("The Challenge") Hi'iaka travels up the Kohala-Hamakua coast, where she faces many mo'o at Mahiki and kills them. Ho'okupa'a ("To stay loyal and determined") finds Hi'iaka on O'ahu, traveling up the coast where the gods live at Kualoa. Hi'iaka chants to her father Kanehoalani. Hi'iaka faces and kills the mo'o at Kualoa and his tail falls into the sea and becomes the island Mokoli'i. In one tale, Hi'iaka nears Kahana valley, where she meets the demigod Kauhi 'imakaokalani, who lusts for her. She turns him to stone (the Crouching Lion figure). Three enigmatic mo'o figures lurk at the bottom of the canvas, but Drexel slyly refrains from eommenting on the symbols, leaving it up to the viewer to find their own meaning. In I Ka 'Olelo No Ke Ola ("In The Word There Is Life") Hi'iaka reaches Kaua'i, where she finds Lohiau has died of longing for Pele. Using her magic powers, she calls Lohiau back to life, but only after she kills the mo'o who protect his body. Hulihia Ka Mauna ("Mountain Overturning") depicts the turmoil when Lohiau faces his mystery lover at last and discovers she is none other than Pele.

The last painting in the Pele series "Mapuna" is Drexel's most recent work, and is more abstract than the others. Her groves devastated and her friend Hupoe killed by a jealous and suspicious Pele, Hi'iaka leaves Hawai'i and goes to O'ahu to the court of the chiefess Pele 'Ula, represented by vibrant red. Lohiau's friend/brother onee more revives the twice-dead Lohiau shown covered by white kapa, who then pursues Hi'iaka. Other works in Drexel's show reveal her love for the kaonei, or hidden meanings of Hawaiian mo'olelo. The knowledgeable student of Hawaiian history would find mueh to absorb and enjoy if the show ean be mounted again. Mawae Huna is part of the Kamapua'a epie on the family of Pele. Kapo'ulakina'u, sister of Pele, lived on Maui, shown as a lush, green outline. Kapo, in red and purple, represents Pele's people. The paintingtells the legend of her ma'i (genitals) hidden at Wailua. A friend and supporter of Drexel is Dr. Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, UH Hawaiian studies professor. Kame'eleihiwa chanted at the opening of Drexel's exhibit, and has praised her research in Hawaiian culture, whieh provides background for the many levels of meaning in her paintings.

April Drexel and "Mawae Huna."

"Pilialoha"

"Ho'okupa'a (detail shown on cover)

"Lehua Maka Noe"