KAHELELANI: THE MAKER

2021 painting, oil on canvas, with applied silver leaf. Painting measures 48" by 48", with the painting's back stretcher featuring my thumbprint in oil. 

 

The largest painting in my Ni'ihau shell lei series, this work showcases the actual creation of a lei, with a specific focus on the hands of a lei-maker. By zeroing in on the technical process of preparing shells, stringing them. and finally, placing them in design, I hoped to bring the viewer into the actual art transpiring, moment by moment. 

 

My Kahelelani painting collection was created to highlight the unique artform of shell lei that began on the Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau. The immense technical skill, physical beauty, and connection to Hawai'i's physical beauty, are reminders of our state's incredible uniqueness. Learn more about the history of shell lei from the Ni'ihau Cultural Heritage Foundation.

​

$7500