Hawaii Kawaii Series: Chinaman’s Hat

Hawaii Kawaii Series: Chinaman’s Hat

A small islet off of east Oahu, Chinaman’s Hat is a popular snapshot spot for tourists due to its distinctive shape. Oddly enough, this little painting placed me in a bit of a moral dilemma in regards to my Native Hawaiian heritage. Instead of calling and depicting this painting as Mokoli’i, the island’s true namesake, I decided to portray Chinaman’s Hat through the nostalgia I experienced as a child. However, the islands origins are from a legend in which the goddess Hi’iaka slew a giant mo’o, casting part of its body away into the ocean…this remnant being Mokoli’i. 

The Hawaii Kawaii series is meant to be playful, whimsical, and reminiscent of how I viewed Hawaii as a child. Perhaps someday I will follow my Kumu Phil Sabado’s footsteps in accurately perpetuating the mythology of our ancestors. But for now, I want to keep playing and rekindling my relationship with my inner child through art. The ultimate goal is to find balance between the two.

Print done on pearlized white specialty paper by Maui Printworks in Wailuku, Maui.

8 x 10" with 11x14" matte and plastic sleeve