Ho‘okāhi Ka ‘Ilau Like Ana features FestPAC carvers at Gallery ‘Iolani

Hawai‘i and Aotearoa delegates collaborate on their Hoe Uli at Bishop Museum during FestPAC 2024.

Gallery ‘Iolani at Windward Community College presents a new exhibition, Ho‘okāhi Ka ‘Ilau Like Ana Wield the Paddles Together, on view from January 18 to March 7, 2025. An artist reception will take place on Saturday, January 18 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

During the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) in Honolulu, Hui Kālai Ki‘i O Kūpā‘aike‘e hosted 70 Moananuiākea carvers, uniting to create 14-foot Hoe Uli (steering paddles) as symbols of collective self-determination.

“As Pacific peoples, we’re all voyagers, we’re all canoe people, and so Hoe Uli became the carving theme for FestPAC as a common cultural piece. The Hoe Uli represents our collective self-determination as Pacific peoples navigating our collective futures,” said Andre Perez, program lead for Kālai (carving) for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture and project director of Hui Kālai Ki’i o Kūpā’aike’e.

The exhibition features Hoe Uli crafted by Pacific delegations, including Hawai‘i, Aotearoa, American Samoa, Western Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Guam, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rapa Nui, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Perez, a Windward CC and UH Mānoa alumnus, co-curated the exhibit with Kaili Chun, sculptor and installation artist.

Exhibition Dates:

January 18 – March 7, 2025

Artist Reception:
Saturday, January 18, 3–6 p.m.
 

Gallery hours: Open Monday through Saturday, 1–5 p.m.; Closed Sundays and holidays
Gallery phone: 808-236-9155 

Website: gallery.windward.hawaii.edu

For more information, contact Professor of Art and Gallery ‘Iolani Coordinator Kapulani Landgraf at kapulani@hawaii.edu

For more information, visit: http://gallery.windward.hawaii.edu