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KILIWEHI: A WALKER YOUNGBIRD FOUNDATION SPECIAL PRESENTATION

July 16 – 18, 2026

Lehuauakea, Pohākea (The Bursting Forth of Light), 2025, natural plant dyes, ochre earth pigment, 24k gold leaf on kapa, 21.5 x 40.5 inches/54.6 x 102.9 cm

Lehuauakea, Pohākea (The Bursting Forth of Light), 2025, natural plant dyes, ochre earth pigment, 24k gold leaf on kapa, 21.5 x 40.5 inches/54.6 x 102.9 cm

Lehuauakea, When the Sky and the Earth Cracked Open, 2025, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, and 24k gold leaf on kapa, 43 x 22.25 inches/109.2 x 56.5 cm

Lehuauakea, When the Sky and the Earth Cracked Open, 2025, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, and 24k gold leaf on kapa, 43 x 22.25 inches/109.2 x 56.5 cm

Lehuauakea, The Night Gives Birth II, 2025, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, 24k gold leaf, hibiscus cordage, ceramic beads on kapa, 36 x 36 inches/91.4 x 91.4 cm

Lehuauakea, The Night Gives Birth II, 2025, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, 24k gold leaf, hibiscus cordage, ceramic beads on kapa, 36 x 36 inches/91.4 x 91.4 cm

Lehuauakea, Nehe, 2025, ochre pigment, wildfire charcoal, and 24k gold leaf on kapa, 26 x 63 inches/66 x 160 cm

Lehuauakea, Nehe, 2025, ochre pigment, wildfire charcoal, and 24k gold leaf on kapa, 26 x 63 inches/66 x 160 cm

Lehuauakea, Kiliwehi, 2026, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, ochre pigment, metal leaf, thread on kapa, 101 x 118 inches/256.5 x 299.7 cm

Lehuauakea, Kiliwehi, 2026, natural plant dyes, wildfire charcoal, ochre pigment, metal leaf, thread on kapa, 101 x 118 inches/256.5 x 299.7 cm

Lehuauakea, Ka Piko o ka Honua (The Navel of the Earth), 2025, ochre pigment and wildfire charcoal on kapa, 49 x 7.75 inches/124.5 x 19.7 cm

Lehuauakea, Ka Piko o ka Honua (The Navel of the Earth), 2025, ochre pigment and wildfire charcoal on kapa, 49 x 7.75 inches/124.5 x 19.7 cm

Lehuauakea, Eia ke Kumu (There is the Source), 2025, wildfire charcoal, micaceous sand, and ʻolonā cordage on kapa, 23 x 23 inches/58.4 x 58.4 cm

Lehuauakea, Eia ke Kumu (There is the Source), 2025, wildfire charcoal, micaceous sand, and ʻolonā cordage on kapa, 23 x 23 inches/58.4 x 58.4 cm

Lehuauakea, When Our Currents Flow Together, 2024, ochre pigment and wildfire charcoal on kapa, 24 x 24 inches/61 x 61 cm

Lehuauakea, When Our Currents Flow Together, 2024, ochre pigment and wildfire charcoal on kapa, 24 x 24 inches/61 x 61 cm

About This Exhibition

Kiliwehi, a Hawaiian term that means to reverberate or rumble, is a three-day solo presentation of contemporary barkcloth paintings by Native Hawaiian interdisciplinary artist and barkcloth maker Lehuauakea. 

 

Rooted in Hawaiian kapa (barkcloth) traditions, the works reflect the artist's engagement with barkcloth-making, ohe kāpala (carved bamboo printing tools), and natural pigments, while reimagining ancestral patterns through a contemporary lens. Lehuauakea is a 2025 recipient of the Emerging Native Arts Grant from the Walker Youngbird Foundation, a Native-led nonprofit that supports emerging Indigenous artists across North America through fellowships, exhibitions, and institutional partnerships.  

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