June 28, 2006
MEDIA CONTACT: Caroline Witherspoon
or Jocelyn Collado
Becker Communications
(808) 533-4165
UNPARALLELED BEAUTY AND COMPLEXITY OF KAPA REVEALED AT BISHOP MUSEUM EXHIBIT
HONOLULU – In traditional times, kapa, the fine and softly-rendered bark cloth of ancient Hawai’i , was an integral part of every important phase of one’s life – from birth and marriage to death. Kapa enfolded newborns, united two souls beneath a single marriage kapa, and protected the remains of departed loved ones. All wore kapa, from those who worked the land, to those who ruled. Its uses varied from daily wear to serving as offerings in the most important of religious ceremonies. In legend, it was the reason Maui was charged with slowing the passage of the sun across the sky – so that his mother’s kapa might be allowed to dry.
Developed in partnership with the Keomailani Hanapi Foundation, Bishop Museum ’s newest Vestibule Gallery exhibit, Ho’okahi Kapa: Layers of Life, reveals the beauty, complexity, and layers of kaona (hidden meaning) impressed into each fiber and fold of kapa. The exhibit opens on Saturday, July 22, 2006 and will be on display through October 22, 2006 . The labor of over a dozen kapa makers from throughout the state is represented in this exhibit, alongside some of the most beautiful kapa and implements from the Museum’s collections of artifacts.
Kapa making virtually disappeared with the introduction of woven cloth in the post-contact years. Fortunately, with the resurgence of interest in native arts and traditions in the 1970s, the art of kapa was reintroduced into contemporary Hawaiian culture.
Artist and exhibit organizer Marie McDonald says of her contribution to the exhibit: “Obsessed with the retrieval of a lost art form and challenged by the elusiveness of the process of creating the finest bark cloth in the world, I embarked on a long journey to uncover the secrets of kapa making…my work presented here is the result of that discovery.”
In today’s context, Ho’okahi Kapa represents unity and wholeness among its creators – that while the work of today's kapa makers is often solitary in nature, their creations reflect the vision and movement of a community. “I believe Hawaiian kapa is a fine art form,” remarks artist Kawai Aona-Ueoka. “Hawaiian kapa makers can inspire excellence and maintain the authenticity, integrity, and dignity of our Hawaiian kupuna, as well as create expressions of our time.”
On Saturday, July 22, 2006 , Bishop Museum will open the exhibit with a three-hour public program, from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include storytelling by Tom Cummings and Kealoha Kelekolio, an artists’ panel, and demonstrations.
With nearly 400,000 visitors each year, Bishop Museum serves as one of Hawai‘i’s top destinations, providing hands-on educational experiences to help residents and visitors appreciate and embrace Hawai‘i’s rich culture. By combining education, history and culture, the Museum strives to fulfill its mission set with its founding in 1889, “to study, preserve and tell the stories of the cultures and natural history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.” Located at 1525 Bernice Street , the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14.95 for adults; $11.95 for youth 4-12 years, plus special rates for kama ‘āina , seniors and military; children under 4 years and Bishop Museum Members are free. For information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.