Chae Patterson
cpatterson3@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
Lehuauakea
This piece by Lehuauakea of the Kānaka Maoli people entitled Mana Mahu dirrectly addresses the nature of being trans. Mahu loosely translates to someone who embraces both masculine and feminine traits and might be transitioning from their assigned gender at birth. This piece also interests me particuarly as the artist used traditional material pigments of Oregon (where I grew up) on Native Hawaiian kapa, which is barkcloth.
The second piece I wanted to highlight from Lehuauakea is their piece titled Kanehunamoku, or to translate it dirrectly the "hidden land of Kane" who is a Hawaiian creator god of the sky. I choose this piece because the detail to the kapa, particularlly in this specific slice has the day transitioning to night through colorwork moving artfully over water. That same fluid transition is a pattern that emphasises change could be representitive of the experinece of feeling wrong in your own body.