The late Bernice Akamine (1949–2024) was highly regarded as a kumu (teacher) and committed maker of kapa (Hawaiian barkcloth) and waiho‘olu‘u (natural dyes). Most recently, she focused on investigating the history of kapa in parallel with other introduced fabrics, and shifts in Hawai‘i’s social and political landscape.

In the early nineteenth century, the increasing influence of foreign powers in Hawai‘i resulted in a decline in kapa-making and proliferation of Westernimported fabrics and practices of quilting and embroidery. Akamine’s Kumu 2024 draws on both quilting and kapa-making to honour the Kumulipo – a creation chant of over 2000 lines that represents more than 800 generations of kings and queens, and articulates the ancient connections between the land, ocean, sky, peoples and gods of Hawai‘i. Each piece of kapa is created with natural pigments applied using ‘ohe kapala (carved bamboo stamps), and adorned with biological illustrations. The nuanced arrangement of motifs and colours intimate the interdependent relationships between sea corals and land plants as articulated in the chant. These connections imply that by caring for plant species, you are also caring for their oceanic counterparts and honouring our ancient ties and responsibilities to the natural world and to each other.

As Akamine’s last completed artwork, Kumu resonates with her expansive legacy of deeply considered works that address the dynamics of oppression and foreign influence through recognising the importance of indigenous knowledge systems and sovereignty.