Ula Leo by 'Imaikalani Kalahele and Cory Taum
March 23, 2017 - May 5, 2017
Mānoa Campus, John Young Museum of Art, Krauss Hall
"Ola Leo" presents a collection of work by K脛聛naka Maoli artists 芒鈧淚maikalani Kalahele and Cory Taum that considers the relationship between urban development, environmental degradation, cultural memory and indigeneity. This multi-generational exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, poetry and artist videos that address specific sites, spaces and landscapes of O芒鈧渁hu and illustrate stories from a Hawaiian perspective.
Since the 1970s 芒鈧淚maikalani Kalahele (b. 1946) has been practicing art and poetry as a way of documenting the changing landscapes around him and questioning the overdevelopment of O芒鈧渁hu.
In one image entitled Shattered Pearl (2016), he paints the city skyline of Honolulu inside a globe hovering in a sky of blue and purple clouds. 芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s my world,芒鈧 says Kalahele. 芒鈧揑t has been oversaturated and shattered like a pearl.芒鈧 Kalahele芒鈧劉s images speak simultaneously with his poetry, mediating ancestral knowledge and his concerns with the environment and local politics.
Cory Taum (b. 1990) initially began practicing as a graffiti artist and later started working on community murals around O芒鈧渁hu. Taum paints on outdoor walls, abandoned World War II sites, unusual locations in forests and more conventionally on canvas. His imaginative, and sometimes unearthly images reveal layered histories and experiences that address specific sites, spaces, and landscapes of O芒鈧渁hu.
Over the course of several years, Kalahele and Taum have been working alongside one another, sharing studio space, and collaborating on exhibitions. In recognition of this mentoring relationship, they received the Mo芒鈧渙 Award from N脛聛 Mea Hawai芒鈧渋 and PA芒鈧淚 Foundation in 2014.
This exhibition and its related events are part of UHM ART: CRITICAL GEOGRAPHY IN HAWAI芒鈧淚 SERIES that highlights local and international artists who address social-cultural concerns associated with space, place, and environment in O芒鈧渁hu.
This event is made possible by the UH M脛聛noa Student Activity Program Fee Board.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
ARTIST CONVERSATIONS + DUAL OPENING:
Sunday, March 19 /
1:00-4:00pm @ John Young Museum of Art + Commons Gallery
Dual opening Ula Leo by 芒鈧淚maikalani Kalahele and Cory Taum + Diamond Head by Drew Broderick with Gan Uyeda at Commons Gallery.
1:30芒鈧2:00 Artist conversations with 芒鈧淚maikalani Kalahele and Cory Taum at John Young Museum of Art
2:30芒鈧3:00 Artist conversation with Drew Broderick at the Commons Gallery
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Thursday, April 20 / 12:00-2:00pm @ John Young Museum of Art
A discussion on the art and life of 芒鈧淚maikalani Kalahele and Cory Taum with Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu (Hawai芒鈧渋-based curator, scholar, and artist)
Ticket Information
Mon. 芒鈧 Fri. 1:00 p.m. 芒鈧 4:00 p.m. or by appointment Closed: Sat. & Sun.; Spring Break March 27 芒鈧 31. Free admission. Donations are appreciated. Parking fees may apply.
Event Sponsor
Art + Art History, Mānoa Campus
More Information
Sharon Tasaka, (808) 956-8364, gallery@hawaii.edu,