Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 12, 1 December 2006 — ARTISTIC TOUCH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ARTISTIC TOUCH

Moku Ola co-owner Keola Chan gives ū lomilomi, with Maile Andrade's painting Ka'upu in the background. - Photo : Sterling Kini Wong I

Phūtū and story by Sterliūg Kini Wnng Publicatiūns Editnr At a typical gallery, art enthusiasts might sip wine and nibble brie as they contemplate the purchase of a pieee. But at the new Hawaiian art gallery in the Moku Ola Hawaiian Healing Center, art investment decisions are made during onehour lomilomi sessions. In November, the popular massage shop, whieh has a gorgeous view of Koko Marina, unveiled what is perhaps the only eommercial gallery dedicated solely to art made by Hawaiians. About 40 pieces from ten Hawaiian artists hang on nearly every wall of the cozy store - even in the bathrooms. The art ranges in price and form, from $300 paintings to a $6,500 dog-tooth kūpe'e (hula anklet). Moku Ola co-owner Keola Chan says the idea behind the gallery is to create a space where Hawaiians - both artist and audienee - are able to freely express themselves. "This is aplaee where Hawaiians naturally feel comfortable, so it's a perfect plaee for them to talk

about the 'i'o [essence] of what the artists are expressing," says Chan, who opened Moku Ola last year with fellow lomilomi practioners Aoi and Pi'ilani Wright. Given the topics the artists tackle, store patrons will have a lot to talk about. Artist Carl Pao turned one room in the store into a fictitious museum featuring "artifacts" of the "Possible Aboriginal Hawaiian." The so-called artifacts are eontemporary household implements onto whieh Pao has carved elements of traditional Hawaiian weaponry and religious symbols. After carving deity images onto the wood handles of steak knives, for example, he labeled them "possible ceremonial daggers or personalized dinnerware." The exhibit satirizes a number of issues, such as the relationship between museums and Hawaiians, and even the Akaka Bill. Pao attributes the downfall of his faux Hawaiian race to the "Lack-of-Recognition Virus." "As it would appear," one of the museum's labels reads, "the Possible Aboriginal Hawaiians literally believed themselves into extinction."

Maika'i Tubbs' mix-media pieces are probably the most edgy in the gallery. One of his pieces, titled "Pauahi Under Fire," features a bulls-eye overlaid on a silhouetted portrait of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, with the section of her 1883 will that created Kamehameha Schools as the backdrop. His two other art pieces, titled "Take Two Acres and Call Me in the Morning" and "Need I Less," whieh display pills and hypodermic needles filled with dirt, illustrate what Tubbs sees as society's greedy addiction to land in Hawai'i. Tubbs says that Chan's willingness to exhibit controversial artwork will help dispel the misconception that Hawaiian art has to be paintings of flowers, heaeh sunsets and hula girls. "Hawaiian art evokes a wide range of feelings," he says. "People just have to be willing to listen to what the artists have to say." Tubbs also says that Moku Ola is providing an opportunity for Hawaiians who are intimidated by galleries to eome to a non-threat-ening environment to experience art created by other Hawaiians.

"People think that to enjoy art you have to be snobby, rich and white," he says, "but that's not true. You don't have to buy art to appreciate it. The whole purpose of art is to show it to people." Puni Kūkahiko, an artist and coordinator of the gallery, said that she's excited that in creating the first conunercial Hawaiian art gallery, they get to set the standard. "This gallery has the power to blow down a lot of categories placed on Hawaiian art," she says. Kūkahiko says that exhibits will change approximately every three months, and the gallery may feature art made by Hawaiian prisoners and high school students, as well as special guest showings of pieces fashioned by other indigenous people. E3

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PĀHEONA • FINE ARTS

Sam Kaha'i Ka'ai exhibit Through Dec. 30 The exhibit will feature the work of Sam Kaha'i Ka'ai, who is renown for his 'awa bowts, basketry, fishhooks, weaponry and woodcarvings. Schaefer International Gallery, Maui. 808-242-7469 or mauiarts.org. Na Hulu Ali'i: Royal Feathers exhibit Through Jan. 8 The largest-ever display of Hawaiian featherwork features more than 40 rarely seen items from the Kamehameha dynasty and Hawaiian monarchy. Bishop Museum, O'ahu. 847-3511 or bishopmuseum. org. Kualoa Makahiki festival Dec. 7-10 The organizers of the June 'Aha Kāne Men's Heahh Conference are coordinating the Makahiki, whieh will include a ceremonial procession, discussion forums and competitions. Kualoa Park. 734-7219 in the evenings. Naupaka Hawaiian opera Fri., Dec. 8, Sat. Dec. 9, 8 p.m. Peter Rockford Espiritu and his Tau Dance Theater present a critically acclaimed threeact opera telling a classic Hawaiian love story. $35-$40. Kahilu Theatre, Hawai'i Island. 808-885-6868 or kahilutheatre.org. A Cazimero Christmas Dec. 21-23, 7:30 p.m. In this holiday tradition, the Brothers Cazimero offer renditions of some of their favorite Christmas tunes. $28-$73. Hawai'i Theatre. 528-0506 or hawaiitheatre.com. Queen Kapi'olani's birthday Dec. 27-28, 6-9 p.m. Special evening tours will be held at 'Iolani Palaee in honor of Queen Kapi'olani's birthday, whieh is on Dec. 31. The palaee and its grounds will be decorated with lanterns in a style reminiscent of the monarchy period. $3-$6. 'Iolani Palaee. 522-0822 or iolanipalace.org. @