As Long As I Have Breath, I Have Hope

Kapa (Hawaiian barkcloth) with kkojipgi (traditional Korean pinch stitching)
wauke, indigo-dyed wauke, natural dyes (maohauhele, òlena), natural earth pigments (àlaea from Kauai, clay from Ghost Ranch), laundry bluing, indigo-dyed sashiko thread

14 x 30 inches
2022

With our communities’ devastating losses due to the pandemic, gun violence, acts of aggression and oppression, reversal of previously held voting rights and reproductive rights, sometimes I can feel despair. As I come around the bend on my drive on the upper road from Kona to my kumu’s farm to beat kapa and see the mauna all around me, the beauty and awe of the sight prompts me to take a deep breath and everything feels ok. My hope is restored. The title is inspired by the lyrics of a hymn written by my church’s music director, Carolyn Anderson, “As long as I have breath, there is hope.” As long as I’m alive and can breathe, I choose to have hope.