A new exhibit in Hilo invites the public to rediscover the hala plant, long woven into Hawaiian culture and cosmology—through fresh eyes.
Open now through June 19, at the Wailoa Art Center in Hilo, Hala is the result of a 14-month collaboration between artists, cultural practitioners, scientists and educators. The project is co-sponsored by the University of Hawaiʻi and brings together voices from across Hawaiʻi to explore the plant’s deep cultural and ecological roots.
“When I started as a professor, this is exactly the type of collaborative project I had hoped to support, bringing together practitioners of science, culture and land management together to consider emergent solutions,” said Noa Lincoln, a professor of Indigenous Crops and Cropping Systems at the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.
Weaving together
The exhibit embraces the Hawaiian concept of makawalu or understanding phenomena from multiple perspectives.
“This exhibition represents a creative encounter between different worldviews, opening doors to other ways of relating to and understanding hala,” said co-curator Kanani Daley, a Native Hawaiian artist and designer. “Throughout our 14-month collaborative process, we constantly asked ourselves: ‘What does hala want?’”
The exhibit includes works by acclaimed artists such as Marques Marzan, Sean Connelly and Carl F.K.P. Pao. Also featured are hands-on opportunities to learn. Visitors can attend free guided gallery walks on May 17, 24 and 31 from 10 a.m. to noon, or join a bracelet weaving workshop on May 31 from 1 to 2 p.m.
The project is driven by leaders from UH Mānoa’s Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory, Ku A Kanaka, The Kohala Center and the Enlivened Cooperative. Support also comes from the UH Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center and several community organizations.
The Wailoa Art Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. To register for workshops or guided tours, call (808) 933-0416.