Relationship with the Land

Kapa (Hawaiian barkcloth)

wauke (inner bast of the paper mulberry tree), natural dyes (inner bark of the kukui nut tree, two varieties of hibiscus flowers, òlena (turmeric), spirulina, matcha tea, àlaea (red dirt of Hawai’i), charcoal from 3 fires (two on Hawai’i Island, one in Lucas Valley, CA)
14 x 31 inches
2021

My twice weekly visits to Honopua Farm, tending and working with the wauke, cultivated my connection with the land. I was inspired by the Hawaiian value of “Mālama ‘Āina” — to care for the land. To care for… to respect, be responsible for, honor, value, love and to take care of… these are the values that are nurtured in the art and craft of kapa. Three fires I experienced within six weeks, an ocean apart, led to my contemplation on the lack of stewardship of the land and how that has negatively impacted our climate. If people’s connection to the land was nurtured and cultivated, wouldn’t people feel more responsible to take better care of the land? How can we enhance our kinship with the land?