Mo‘olelo of the Ahupuaʻa tells the various stories of living, working, playing and learning within a sustainable landscape. These are themes within the epic Hawaiian myth Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, which Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos depicts in this series of paintings. The heroine Hiʻiaka is on a quest that takes her throughout the various landscapes and worlds of […]

At the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England, you can see a beautiful Ahu’ula, a feather cloak from Hawaii. It is on display on the ground floor, in a case that has a curtain covering the glass, which when drawn back reveals the striking yellow, red and black design worked in tiny feathers. Draw back […]

The ahupua‘a, a land division extending from the mountains to the sea, has long been the cornerstone of sustainable land management for Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) communities. "Ma uka" (toward the mountains) and "Ma kai" (toward the sea) are not merely directional references; they signify a deep understanding of care and access to natural and cultural resources within these regions. Through […]

Discover the beautifully sculptural Hulu Nēnē dress by fashion icon Manaola Yap, a designer and cultural practitioner from Hawaiʻi, within the Pitt Rivers Museum galleries. Displayed in a case in near the centre of the museum court on the ground floor, this installation is part of the journey through the Hawaiian landscape offered through the museum's current […]

In this Archive Case display, artists Simon Grennan and Solomon Enos re-examine the work of nineteenth century author Robert Louis Stevenson through dynamic graphic storytelling. Stevenson travelled to several Pacific islands before settling in Sāmoa in 1890. Referencing this time in Sāmoa, as well as Hawai’i and Europe, related items are brought together from the […]

Unfinished is a poem written by Carol Ann Carl, a daughter of the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. With a background in Biochemistry and health, her community work revolves around Micronesian youth and women. Carol Ann was entrusted to be the keeper of traditional origin stories, which she shares through her writings. […]