Description
About The Artwork
“I like these postcard storytelling pieces because if you have a postcard, often it means someone you love has travelled somewhere interesting and was thinking of you. I also enjoy turning perspectives a bit in some of my pieces. Postcards often showed a surface attraction view of a place, mine tell a bit deeper of a story.
“You might know how crucial the Hokulea has been to educating people about the Hawaiian culture. People in our community worked together to build something respectful to the past, celebrating our present, and teaching future generations a balanced interaction with our environment. Those are things I delight in painting. If we add our voices to the beauty in life it grows exponentially.
“The Hokulea celebrates the excellent seafaring accomplishments of their ancestors, the Tahitians. Showing the beauty of our islands but with a deeper knowledge and appreciation, all the flora in this piece are foods they would have carried with them on their voyages. I included kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato), ‘olena (turmeric), ulu (bread fruit), mai’a (bananas), niu (coconuts), koki’o ‘ula (red hibiscus), hau (hibiscus tiliaceus), kou tree, and ti.
“My beautiful friend Jenny, who works at the Dragon’s Den in Makawao, is the model for the woman holding a basket of fresh fruit, welcoming the canoe back to land after it’s long journey.
“The Hokulea represents the resurgence of the Hawaiian culture and the stamp I chose is in keeping with this. Around 1900 the U.S. government burned all postage stamps with images of Hawaiian leaders in their efforts to exert control. The stamp showing King Kamehameha’s statue on Oahu is one of the earliest circulated by the U.S. government recognizing Hawaii’s rich heritage. I orchestrated the composition so it appears as if this King who fought to unit his people is blessing the Hokulea for the same work done today in a much different way. The postal marks are the dates and locations of their first voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti.
“Like the Hawaiian culture has been for me, I wanted this piece to bring ho’opomaika’i (blessings) into the lives of whoever connected with it and brought it into their home.”
