Bernice Akamine
Kanaka ‘Ōiwi 
Born 1949, Honolulu, Hawai‘i; died 2024, Honolulu 
Lived and worked in Hawai‘i
 

Bernice Akamine was a recognized kumu (teacher) and committed maker of kapa (Hawaiian barkcloth) and waiho‘olu‘u (natural dyes). Akamine’s textiles investigate the history of kapa-making in Hawai‘i in parallel to introduced fabrics and techniques, and alongside changes in the country’s social and political landscape.

For the Asia Pacific Triennial, Akamine honours the sovereignty of Queen Liliu‘okalani and sacred connection her people maintain to their ancestral lands through the materials and symbols created for Kumu 2024. Completed with the support of her daughter, Ka‘iulani Akamine, this work is a deeply considered reflection on the wisdoms and significance of the Kumulipo — a 2108-line creation chant that captures the cosmogonic genealogy of over 800 generations of kings and queens, and articulates the ancient connections between the land, ocean, sky, peoples and gods of Hawai‘i.