On the island of Oahu, the Bishop Museum has become the setting for a particularly meaningful tribute with “Ea Mai Eiwa: Patterns of Practice,” an exhibition honoring the life and creative legacy of the late Nalani Kanakaole, a revered kumu hula.
Alongside Kanakaole’s art, the exhibition features the work of her husband Sig Zane, an acclaimed designer and photographer, and son Kuhaoimaikalani Zane, a multidisciplinary artist. Through textiles, archival materials and immersive installations, it reflects themes of migration, resilience and ancestral knowledge.
On display until Sept. 20, the exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the renowned Hilo-based family, whose hula practices are deeply rooted in hula aihaa — a vigorous, low-postured style of hula associated with the volcano deities Pele and Hiiaka. More than dance, hula functions as a living archive of genealogy and history passed down through chant and movement…