Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila (where work is, there is life) | (October 2020)
Eric Okdeh
Installation at 2050 Main Street/ Main Street Promenade in Wailuku
Eric Okdeh
Installation at 2050 Main Street/ Main Street Promenade in Wailuku
Inspired by ʻōlelo noʻeau: Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila (where work is, there is life)
Artist Statement: This mural is first and foremost a celebration of arts and culture in the town of Wailuku. In order to portray an accurate picture, I consulted with many long-standing residents and kupuna who have called this town home for generations. To celebrate Wailuku is to acknowledge its diversity. Families have traveled here from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Brazil, and Puerto Rico among many other places, adding to the cultural tapestry of Hawaii.
While researching the Bailey House archives, I happened upon a photograph of a Japanese woman teaching a young girl to sew a kimono. This woman's name was Sue Kanda. In the early 1900's she travelled to the island with her husband and started the Kanda Home, a place for troubled girls. It was here that these girls received an education in the Arts, learning to sew kimono, play music, and dance. This image is central to the murals' theme; Japanese cultural practices were taught and absorbed into the cultural lexicon. In the mural, the kimono undulates across the design propelled by the tradewinds. The very pattern of the kimono is purposefully busy with fabric patterns that can be found in all the major nationalities that reside in Wailuku. The patterns frame specific imagery of the people and places that have cemented this town as an artistic hub. Petroglyphs local to Iao establish a timeline of the Arts from left to right on the kimono. The Orpheum, King, and Iao theaters can be found, as well as the Saint Anthony's School Band, the Maui Chamber Orchestra, and the production of Les Misérables from MAPA. Willie K takes center stage in one of the kimono's brightest spots as well as Emma Sharpe who taught hula out of her garage. This tapestry came about through the recollections of all of my participants and interviewees.
Performers under the tapestry are depicted as silhouetted figures. They also represent important cultural touchstones, such as Portuguese bamboo dancing, hula, and Taiko Drumming.
The Iao needle appears as a reminder of its enormous cultural significance. Battles were fought and ancestors are buried here. At the foot of the needle is a woven basket with taro growing from the top. This is a reference to the story of Haloa the Hawaiian creation story. Even in a story about creation, woven baskets and kapa pattens on cloth are mentioned, highlighting the significance of the arts.
This community mural project was meant to compliment a specific ʻōlelo noʻeau. As is the process with my other mural work, the design and concept evolves over time, with the contributions from participants. Sissy Lake-Farm allowed the proverb selections to evolve along with the mural. The quote is featured on the murals' tapestry "Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila" or "Where work is, there is life." Recalling a time when thousands of workers immigrated to Maui from all parts of the world to work in the fields and factories, the cultural impact of this migration is still thriving to this day.
Artist Statement: This mural is first and foremost a celebration of arts and culture in the town of Wailuku. In order to portray an accurate picture, I consulted with many long-standing residents and kupuna who have called this town home for generations. To celebrate Wailuku is to acknowledge its diversity. Families have traveled here from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Brazil, and Puerto Rico among many other places, adding to the cultural tapestry of Hawaii.
While researching the Bailey House archives, I happened upon a photograph of a Japanese woman teaching a young girl to sew a kimono. This woman's name was Sue Kanda. In the early 1900's she travelled to the island with her husband and started the Kanda Home, a place for troubled girls. It was here that these girls received an education in the Arts, learning to sew kimono, play music, and dance. This image is central to the murals' theme; Japanese cultural practices were taught and absorbed into the cultural lexicon. In the mural, the kimono undulates across the design propelled by the tradewinds. The very pattern of the kimono is purposefully busy with fabric patterns that can be found in all the major nationalities that reside in Wailuku. The patterns frame specific imagery of the people and places that have cemented this town as an artistic hub. Petroglyphs local to Iao establish a timeline of the Arts from left to right on the kimono. The Orpheum, King, and Iao theaters can be found, as well as the Saint Anthony's School Band, the Maui Chamber Orchestra, and the production of Les Misérables from MAPA. Willie K takes center stage in one of the kimono's brightest spots as well as Emma Sharpe who taught hula out of her garage. This tapestry came about through the recollections of all of my participants and interviewees.
Performers under the tapestry are depicted as silhouetted figures. They also represent important cultural touchstones, such as Portuguese bamboo dancing, hula, and Taiko Drumming.
The Iao needle appears as a reminder of its enormous cultural significance. Battles were fought and ancestors are buried here. At the foot of the needle is a woven basket with taro growing from the top. This is a reference to the story of Haloa the Hawaiian creation story. Even in a story about creation, woven baskets and kapa pattens on cloth are mentioned, highlighting the significance of the arts.
This community mural project was meant to compliment a specific ʻōlelo noʻeau. As is the process with my other mural work, the design and concept evolves over time, with the contributions from participants. Sissy Lake-Farm allowed the proverb selections to evolve along with the mural. The quote is featured on the murals' tapestry "Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila" or "Where work is, there is life." Recalling a time when thousands of workers immigrated to Maui from all parts of the world to work in the fields and factories, the cultural impact of this migration is still thriving to this day.
Photos above by Sean Hower
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Bio: Over the past 20 years I have worked in communities, schools, city governments and organizations around the country and the world to create over 150 public works of art. Every project that I take on lends itself to a different process, however the skills underlying each remain the same. Whether the stakeholders consist of juveniles, inmates, community leaders, city officials or organizations, each one requires strong communication, technical skills and team work.
It is important to me that the public art piece I create is not the only goal of the work that I do. For me, creating rich relationships of collaboration and creativity are essential to each project. And while I have a strong tenure of experience, I value that each project allows for more growth. I believe creating a visual and cultural exchange between communities that are geographically so far apart would be an amazing opportunity for everyone involved. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss further the technical, creative and collaborative skills that I could bring to this project. Learn More: New mural in Wailuku completed (LINK) | Where Work Is, There is Life (LINK) | SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Nears Completion of New Wailuku Mural (LINK) | SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Presents Eric Okdeh (LINK) | A Tribute to Wailuku Art: What We've Heard So Far (LINK) |
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MAHALO
Maui Academy of Performing Arts Maui OnStage Maui Chamber Orchestra Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society Stephanie Ohigashi Mike & Rae Takemoto Kirk Kurokawa Alan Takitani + Mike Shimoko Frank de Rego Phil Sebado Wallette & Hōkūao Pellegrino Myrna Fung Brian Ige |
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