“Lawai’a” @powwowworldwide I was taught that family lineage is stacked upon our po’o (head) like a totem pole of relatives who came before us. That the genetic memories of our ancestors are stored above our heads and within us, within every fabric of our being, and the knowledge and skills of those who came before are also there for us to draw upon. We can use the lessons of everyone who comes before us, to help make difficult decisions in life, but only if we listen. Based on these stories I have been creating images of people engaged in activities and the physical representation of these mouth less ancestors watching and listening, guiding and helping but unable to actually speak to us. My mural “Lawai’a,” is a fisherman throwing net. His ancestors, fishing and sailing tools, sharks, shells, corals and other life forms are swimming around his po’o as a way to represent their influence on our actions. The fisherman has cast his throw net and the figures above him are pulling and pushing the net to maximize his catch, as the figure at the top is spotting the final placement of the net and actualizing the fish to be caught. The shape of the net combined with the compositions of the shells and people figures creates the face of the first ancestor, the one who connects us all. // Supported by @hawaiihta @montanacans @montanacans_usa @hawaiianairlines @alohilaniresort @47 @citymill @monsterenergy @heineken_us @thinkspace_art @ourkakaako @wardvillage @olukai // #powwowhawaii #powwowworldwide #geneticmemory #hawaiian #art (at Fisher Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/Buhv5pAhmVR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w9ptu9e5hkpm
