Kaulana Nā Wai ʻEhā (February 2019)
Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum, Pangeaseed Foundation
Mural at 2085 Main Street in Wailuku
Artist Statement: “This piece is my tribute to the four famous streams of west Maui and the importance of the Ahupuaʻa system in both traditional times and even more so, today. The idea is to give the viewer the "birds eye view" of the Wailuku valley and river, and the sea at Kaʻehu bay. I believe in these crucial times we must look from this view to realize and understand the effects of our actions and the importance of protecting what precious resources we still have before it is too late.
The textures of the mountain valley and the ocean hope to share how the original people of this land were very aware of the importance of the patterns in nature that surrounded us; from the visual patterns found on many life forms around us, to the cycles in the earth and sky.
The bold panel of pattern the runs through the middle of the composition represents each of these stream systems, Waikapū , Wailuku , Waiehu , and Waiheʻe, running from the watershed all the way down the ocean. The center image is a "Hue wai", a traditional Hawaiian water gourd, an item that was once an very important part of life when the resource of water was understood as the one of greatest riches in life.
The patterning on the gourd eludes to the pool of fresh water high in the Mauna Kahalawai (West Maui Mountains), known as "KiʻowaioKihawahine", and the traditional spiritual understanding of the role and importance of the goddess Kihawahine (Lizard Woman). The bird motif is a contemporary pattern inspired by the only endemic seabird to Hawaii, the ʻAʻo (Newells Shearwater), who begin their life high on the slopes of Mauna Kahalawai, then eventually travel out throughout the Pacific Ocean.”
PHOTOS: Tre' Packard
Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum, Pangeaseed Foundation
Mural at 2085 Main Street in Wailuku
Artist Statement: “This piece is my tribute to the four famous streams of west Maui and the importance of the Ahupuaʻa system in both traditional times and even more so, today. The idea is to give the viewer the "birds eye view" of the Wailuku valley and river, and the sea at Kaʻehu bay. I believe in these crucial times we must look from this view to realize and understand the effects of our actions and the importance of protecting what precious resources we still have before it is too late.
The textures of the mountain valley and the ocean hope to share how the original people of this land were very aware of the importance of the patterns in nature that surrounded us; from the visual patterns found on many life forms around us, to the cycles in the earth and sky.
The bold panel of pattern the runs through the middle of the composition represents each of these stream systems, Waikapū , Wailuku , Waiehu , and Waiheʻe, running from the watershed all the way down the ocean. The center image is a "Hue wai", a traditional Hawaiian water gourd, an item that was once an very important part of life when the resource of water was understood as the one of greatest riches in life.
The patterning on the gourd eludes to the pool of fresh water high in the Mauna Kahalawai (West Maui Mountains), known as "KiʻowaioKihawahine", and the traditional spiritual understanding of the role and importance of the goddess Kihawahine (Lizard Woman). The bird motif is a contemporary pattern inspired by the only endemic seabird to Hawaii, the ʻAʻo (Newells Shearwater), who begin their life high on the slopes of Mauna Kahalawai, then eventually travel out throughout the Pacific Ocean.”
PHOTOS: Tre' Packard
About Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum: Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum is a Kānaka Maoli artist that lives and works in Hawaiʻi. He is an active mural artist and cultural practitioner sourcing his inspiration from the stories and teachings of the past and their relevance in today's drastically changing Hawaiʻi. Cory is fascinated with the bold, and powerful visual forms and patterns developed by the original people of Hawaiʻi. He is best known for his iconic paintings on a wide range of surfaces from rusted metal, moss covered concrete, to an invasive Albezia tree. The surfaces he chooses as his canvas hope to encourage the viewer to question the current state of urbanization and its effect on the health of the land the people of Hawaiʻi. Cory has worked on numerous large scale community murals as well as participated in multiple artist-in-residencies and international mural festivals throughout the pacific.
About PangeaSeed: PangeaSeed is an international collective of artists and activists whose mission is to harnesses the power of art, science, and creativity to generate awareness and effect positive change surrounding global ocean environmental issues. Their February 2019 “Mauka to Makai" proposal to SMALL TOWN * BIG ART brought together 19 artists from around the world to address some of today's most pressing issues affecting our marine and freshwater resources through large-scale, purpose-driven public art. Learn More: SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Welcomes PangeaSeed Foundation to Wailuku Town (1/24/19) | Team of Artists to Paint Murals Throughout Wailuku and Central Maui (1/25/19) (1/27/19) | Proof of Concept (1/31/19) | Six Months In! SMALL TOWN * BIG ART (5/23/19) |
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