Kalapana I ka wa Kahiko // Kalapana in the days of Old

Kaiao Space exhibit conveys a sense of yearning for simpler days in Hawai’i through multimedia pieces ranging from photographs to hand-made rugs.

HONOLULU HI - Big Island Hawai’i cousins photographer Nani Welch Keli’iho’omalu and painter/ethnographer Nainoa Rosehill collaborated to release their project “Kalapana I ka wa Kahiko” or Kalapana in the days of Old this week at Kaiao Space. 

The exhibition debuted on Jun 30th, beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m. Featuring double-exposed film photographs, paintings and a wide variety of hand-made rugs in the shape of local ubiquitous objects such as numberplates, poi pounders and slippers.

Each piece created by the two artists is akin to a siren song calling those who’ve grown up in Hawai’i back home.  

“In honor of our ‘aina where every makani is drenched in the ‘ala of hala, where the fires of the earth burst forth, where the sun is pulled out from the sea; for our ‘ohana who were forged in this earth, and from where we flow still,” said Nainoa Rosehill.

The artist’s bespoke approach to items and faces that seem every day to others spark a light in those who find them familiar, items adorned with colloquial expressions such as “shoots” and “bruh” invoke an intimate comfortability with those of us who use them daily. 

The event is currently open to the public. 

Note: The translations may not be 100% accurate as I am actively studying Hawai’ian language.