Hawaii's past, present and future will intersect at the MACC's Schaefer International Gallery during "I KEia Manawa (In This Time)."
Four Native Hawaiian female artists - Ivy Hali'imaile Andrade, Kaili Chun, April Drexel and Kapulani Landgraf - will unveil their new bodies of work with the exhibition, which opens Sunday. Through their unique voices and individual modes of expression, the artists connect present-day issues with the Hawaii's foundations and possible fates. It's a contemporary snapshot of artists staying rooted in the past, while pressing toward the future.
"The work of these Native Hawaiian women is multifaceted, addressing social issues with historical relevance and specific attention to Hawaiian cultural, environmental and political ideas," Neida Bangerter, MACC gallery director and exhibition curator, said in a release. "We hope you'll come away from the exhibition with a new perspective about these contemporary ideas and issues."
Article Photos
Kapulani Landgraf, “pu‘u nene”; Kaili Chun
Maui Arts & Cultural Center photo
"I Keia Manawa (In This Time)" opens at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center gallery on Sunday and continues through Dec. 23. Meet the artists during a reception at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
The artists, all accomplished in their respective mediums and professors of art at the college level, "continually set the bar for excellence in their work and offer new investigations in a range of two- and three-dimensional media in fiber, painting, glass, photography and installation-based work," according to the MACC.
Organizers added that they hope the exhibition inspires the next generation of Native Hawaiian artists "by exposing them to the potential of sociopolitically driven ideas from these highly regarded, established Native Hawaiian women of our time."
Fact Box
I Keia Manawa (In This Time)
* Sunday through Dec. 23
* Schaefer International Gallery
* Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and before Castle Theater shows
* For more information, www.mauiarts.org
Catch glimpses into the four installations with excerpts from the artists themselves, compiled by the MACC:
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Oahu's Kapulani Landgraf, most noted for her remarkable black-and-white photography, feels that sand is a precious commodity that has been continually used in Honolulu's construction industry. Historically, sand was taken from island beaches so much so that in 1975, the state legislature banned sand mining at state beaches. Her installation Ponoiwi combines three dimensional elements with 20 hand-etched silver gelatin photographic prints, which reveal specific areas on Maui where sand removal has occurred for decades.
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Maile Andrade of Kauai tells us that imagery has documented the history, identity and world views of Native Hawaiian people. Native Hawaiians have always used visual symbols to represent their past and present life experiences. She states, "We, as Native Hawaiians, stand firmly in the present day, i k?ia manawa (in this time), with our back to the future and our eyes on the past." In her work Kahuli, she combines traditional lauhala weaving with contemporary fused glass, metaphorically addressing the idea of change through the strength of foundation and importance of forward movement.
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April Drexel of Oahu follows conversational lines about stereotyping and assumed public knowledge of the Native Hawaiian's history and culture. The general concept of her work is based on a passage from the alternative freestyle musical group, Big Island Conspiracy, which reads, "We the evidence, not the crime." She has developed eight visual texts (in 5-foot tall panels) to challenge socio-political and cultural injustices from layers of a Hawaiian perspective. This polytych addresses socio-historical and political predicaments, covetous acts of violence on cultural practices and injustices toward the land which feeds us.
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Oahu's Kaili Chun's large-scale conceptual installation examines the distinctions between Western and indigenous epistemologies and their effects upon each other. Her work comprises narratives of living in this world as a manifestation of indigenous life while investigating cultural paradigms that consistently challenge and transform the identity of the indigenous person through sculptural form. Her monumental work Veritas II, comprising 49 independent steel cells, creates a walkable grid that conjures unlimited associations to the meaning of entrapment. She probes the complex relationship between Christian and indigenous philosophies that have impacted both historical and contemporary matters relating to Native Hawaiian existence.
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Maui Hands' Makawao gallery, 1169 Makawao Ave., will feature the viscosity monotypes of local artist Linda Whittemore through November. Meet the artist from 1 to 5 p.m. every Wednesday to watch and discuss the process of creating the monotypes.
Although she has had extensive training in intaglio printmaking, painting, abstract theory and ceramics, Whittemore works primarily in a printmaking style called viscosity monotype. She creates her prints on a printmaking press, first by painting on a piece of plexi glass then by running the plate through a press at high pressure. according to a gallery release.
"Linda often works in inspired series, a story of color and mood, and she continually paints scenes around the island, inspirations for her viscosity monotypes."
For details, call 572-2008 or visit mauihands.com.
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At Maui Hands' Lahaina gallery, 612 Front St., clay artist Mary Ann Leigh will be featured from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays through the month. With a background in pottery in college, Leigh finds inspiration for her clay work in just about everything.
"I see something magical in the world and wonder how to translate the concept into a ceramic work," she said in a release. "Inspiration is found in an ocean with attitude, a posturing bird, the curve of a leaf, the flounce of petals, and the precariousness of rock outcrops." For details, call 667-9898 or visit Maui Hands' website.
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Sargent's Fine Art, 802 Front St., will host acclaimed relief sculptor Bill Mack from 7 to 10 tonight and Friday. Hailed for his innovative relief sculptures, Mack creates figures in bronze and mixed metals. His latest works include portraits of Hollywood legends on the original Hollywood sign boards. Meet this artist and listen to the music of Kurt Lee. For details, call the gallery at 667-4030.
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East Maui Watershed Partnership and Viewpoints Gallery present Malama Wao Akua, an annual celebration of Maui County's native species, with an opening reception at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Makawao gallery. The show continues through Dec. 8.
The juried show, launched in 2004, this year marks 20 years of conservation work by EMWP. "Talk Story Thursdays" with environmental experts Nov. 17 and Dec.1 coincide with the exhibition. For details, visit www.eastmauiwatershed.org or www.viewpointsgallerymaui.com/.
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Paia's Maui Crafts Guild will feature clay artist Sharon Ransford starting Friday through Nov. 24. Meet the artist during an opening reception with refreshments and live music from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday. Ransford creates functional and decorative pieces, ranging from vases to faces to flying fish.?Her work is wheel-thrown or hand-built. "Clay is ageless and comes from a rich history,"?she said in a release. Maui Crafts Guild is located at 69 Hana Highway. For details, call 579-9697 or visit www.mauicraftsguild.com.
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Creativity at all levels, from beginner to established artists, is cultivated through the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center Open Studio program. The center provides work spaces with state-of-the-art studios staffed by technicians in ceramics, jewelry, digital media, painting, life drawing, photography and printmaking. The Hui is seeking support for the community resource with the fifth annual Wailea Food & Wine Celebration from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Proceeds from the Hotel Wailea gala, filled with fine food, wine, arts, entertainment, auctions and more, will benefit the Open Studio program. For more information on the event, see Dining.
