A free exhibit of 14-foot hoe uli (steering paddles), Hoʻokāhi Ka ʻIlau Like Ana Wield the Paddles Together, will be on view at Windward Community College’s Gallery ʻIolani, January 18–March 7, 2025.
It features paddles crafted by during the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), which included delegations from Hawaiʻi, 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.
In June during FestPAC, Hui Kālai Kiʻi O Kūpāʻaikeʻe, a Hawaiian carving revitalization group, hosted 70 Moananuiākea (Pacific) carvers, uniting to create hoe uli 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 FestPAC and project director of Hui Kālai Kiʻi O Kūpāʻaikeʻe.
Perez, a Windward CC and UH Mānoa alumnus, co-curated the exhibit with Kaili Chun, sculptor and installation artist.
An artist reception will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2025, 3–6 p.m. Gallery ʻIolani is open Monday–Saturday, 1–5 p.m.; Closed Sundays and holidays. Phone: (808) 236-9155.
For more information, contact Professor of Art and Gallery ʻIolani Coordinator Kapulani Landgraf at kapulani@hawaii.edu.
