Art / Sensual and celebratory, hula is a form of devotional performance that totally engages performers and audiences alike, and inspires a search for meaning on multiple levels. Given the performance dimension of this art, creating an exhibition about hula could have presented a significant challenge. It is fortunate, then, that the creation of Hooulu: The Inspiration of Hula was guided by several hula and Hawaiian cultural experts, making many of the nuances of this art more accessible, while still honoring the deeper levels of wisdom that belong to those who have devoted their lives to its practice. The exhibition structures a process of learning about hula that honors the complexities of the subject.

The exhibition, now at our Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM) through mid-2010, is organized in a way that creates a pathway of understanding, based on four stages of organic growth, represented by the ‘ohia lehua plant. Hula has its roots in a narrative that establishes the centrality of Hiiaka, sister of Pele. Thus, the first stage concerns Hiiaka and the concept of genealogy, human and otherwise, in the creation and transmission of hula. In this section of the exhibition, Bill Woods’ series of photographs invoke through double-exposure images the connection between Hiiaka and the encounter with a relative at Makapuu, Oahu–a reminder of the close connection between the history of place and the lives of its inhabitants. The “roots” section also introduces the viewer to the work of Solomon Enos and his illustrations for The Epic Tale of Hiiakaikapoliopele (Hiiaka in the bosom of Pele) that create a visual connection to an understanding of mythic origins. It is further animated with video of “Holo Mai Pele,” a performance created by Pualani and Nalani Kanakaole.

From roots to trunk: the second section of the exhibition honors those who contributed to a hula renaissance, who brought this art back to the center of culture. Four kumu hula received the Order of Distinction for Cultural Leadership from the State and Willson Stamper’s regal oil portrait of Rosalie Lokalia Montgomery along with Franco Salmoiraghi’s transcendent photograph of Aunty Edith Kanakaole each capture potent presences. Joseph Feher painted Mary Kawena Pukui in a reflective moment. The spirited work of ‘Iolani Luahine reanimated an awareness of traditional hula; her presence inspired the work of both painter Jean Charlot and photographer Francis Haar.

From trunk to branches: the third section of this exhibition is anchored by an extraordinary series of photographs of kumu hula, past and current teachers and mentors of the tradition, created by Shuzo Uemoto. The photographs were created originally for a book, Nana I Na Loea Hula (Look to the Hula Resources), published in 1984 by the Kalihi-Palama Culture and Arts Society. Twenty-five years later, the 70-plus images, many of the kumu–still active in teaching–resonate with a powerful presence, a reminder that the transmission of hula knowledge is like the flow of energy through all growing things. In addition to Uemoto’s photographs, video segments prepared by the Hula Preservation Society as part of the Kumu Hula Oral History project add a lively dimension to the exhibition.

From branches to blossoms and fruit: the fourth section features the work of several contemporary artists who have also been inspired by the hula tradition. Moana K. M. Eisele and her apprentice Kaiulani de Silva contribute modern versions of traditional kapa garments, while Rocky Jensen’s large drum, set on a base of dark carved wood, complements an older coconut shell drum. The use of various instruments as integral elements in hula is further emphasized in another series of photographs by Francis Haar of ‘Iolani Luahine, illustrating the use of a variety of instruments including stones, feather rattles, bamboo rattles and gourds. Jean Charlot, whose portrait of Luahine anchored an earlier section, has also depicted hula kii, a unique form of hula that utilizes hand puppets as surrogate performers.

As much as this is an exhibition that should be seen, it is also one that should be read–the exhibition label texts provide a rich context for the works on display, from the context of legend with which it begins to personal narrative that accompanies the portraits of kumu and the artists’ perspectives that provide additional insight into contemporary works. Ultimately, the exhibit serves as a reminder that hula is alive and thriving, as ancient roots continue to produce new growth.

Ka Pa Hula O Kamehameha Merrie Monarch Festival 2003