EXHIBITION
ʻO Ka Wai Mai مي From Lahaina to the Litani
January 13 – February 18, 2026
The Art Gallery, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), Art Building
The Art Gallery at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is proud to present ʻO Ka Wai Mai مي From Lahaina to the Litani
ARTIST WALKTHROUGH @ 1 pm AND RECEPTION 1- 18, 2026 1- 4 pm.
ʻO Ka Wai Mai مي From Lahaina to the Litani calls for the continuous flow of water in Hawaiʻi and the Middle East. The Hawaiian phrase ʻo ka wai mai is interpreted as the water shall flow. Mai has a double meaning: The Arabic مي (mai) means water. In ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, it indicates the flow of water (wai) towards the speaker.
Artist Reem Bassous (Lebanon, b. 1978), multi-media artist and conservationist Melissa Chimera (Hawai‘i, b. 1972), sculptor Kahi Ching (Hawaiʻi, b. 1962), and translator and kapa maker Hina Puamohala Kneubuhl (Hawai‘i, b. 1977) consider water’s sacred role in sustaining lands, cultures, and self-determination in Hawai‘i, Palestine, and Lebanon at a time when it has been contaminated, diverted, destroyed, and denied by illegal occupation, settler economics, or war. They remind us to hold water as sacred and vital, so that it can always flow towards life.
Save the date for these additional programs and stay tuned for more!
Friday, January 23: 6-8pm. Talk Story Panel on Wai/Mai led by Hina Kneubuhl & Kauwila Mahi. Panelists: Maʻan Odah, Malia Osorio, Brahim Aoude, Camille Kalama.
Monday, February 2: 1pm HST/6pm EST. A Virtual Conversation with artist Reem Bassous and Ariana Curtis, curator of Latinx and Black-centered narratives based in Washington D.C. on Zoom.
Tuesday, Feb. 17: 2-3pm. Reception at UHM Art Gallery for Saree Makdisi, author of Tolerance is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial. Followed by his talk, 3:30-5 pm @ KUY 410 (sponsored by SFJP@UH and UHM English Dept.)
Wednesday, February 18: 12-1:30pm. Walkthrough with Melissa Chimera + Hina Kneubuhl with lunch provided after. (Co-sponsored by AAPI EHEJ ECOTONE series).
Monday, February 23: 12:30pm. Talk Story with Kahi Ching, Rm Art 215.
THE ART GALLERY is located at 2535 McCarthy Mall, Rm 141, Honolulu, HI 96822.
Gallery hours and admission
Tuesday – Friday & Sunday 12 – 4 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Mondays, spring break (March 17-22), and state holidays.
Free admission. Donations are appreciated.
Parking fees may apply during weekdays. Parking is free on Sundays
For more information please contact Sheika Alghezawi at 808.956.8364 and gallery@hawaii.eduTEXT