Hūlili by Dalani Tanahy
Makaha, 2019
Hand beaten, Hawaiian kapa bark cloth from home grown paper mulberry trees. Hand stamped with bamboo ohe kapala stamps using olena (tumeric) and squid ink.
The Making of kapa is a connection to the past, especially since the nuances of Hawaiian kapa making were essentially lost and not passed on through generations. The art of kapa was last practiced in the 1800s. In our attempts to relearn this art, we reach out to bridge, or hūlili that gap with our ancestors. Through our attempts, we learn what it was like to live on, live through, and live with an island–where everything we had and need exists right here.
You can learn more about Dalani and her artwork here.
