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Ian Kūali'i

@iankualii

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Kanaka Maoli - Mescalero Apache Contemporary Artist, Hale Nauā IV Society and Knight of the Royal Order of the Crown of Hawai‘i

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…Just finished transcribing the Smithsonian interview my mom did of her former mentor, “Hawaiian Living Treasure” and basically hānai father to my youngest sister Mele… Sam Ka‘ai. It personally felt like a beautiful family undertaking: my mom interviewing Sam, who is extended family; my older brother Matt aka Indio handling the two days of professional recording; and me taking care of the transcript, making sure that names, places, objects, and terms in both heavy Pidgin and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi were confirmed as correct.

It was also extra special to hear my name mentioned in this interview for compiling Sam’s genealogy in a single day (yes… I’m that good and accurate, haha) for his Community Spirit Award nomination with First Peoples Fund—due to the loss of his personal belongings in the tragic Lāhainā wildfire and his daughter Malia not being able to compile everything in time.

This interview is so unbelievably dense with important information, names of great people, and history! What an honor to be trusted with a part in it…

#TheKuleanaIsReal #Kūlana #SamKaai #Smithsonian #HaleOKūalii by @iankualii

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16 days ago

…’Ahu’ula o Na’ashjé’ii Asdzáá/Spider Woman
created for fourth generation Navajo master weaver Melissa Cody ( @codyedgewater ). This contemporary Hawaiian feather cape is comprised of close to five maybe six thousand feathers which are individually hand processed, bundled, individually tied to a net backing and symbolize the black and brown iridescence you often see on desert black widow spiders, Spider Woman’s cross instead of the typical red hourglass shape also a red and reddish yellow collar to symbolize the rising of the sun in the east protecting and illuminating the neck and crown with each new day...

Special shout out to my Great Great Grandmother Mele Kūali’i-Kahue who was a "Hawaiian Society" member and the last feather-worker in my family lines prior to me actively putting my years of knowledge in this sacred practice in motion. Also much respect to my teacher Kumu Hui Nui Rick San Nicolas ( @kiaimea ) as well as the iconic Waterwoman and feather-worker Aunty JoAnne Kamuela Kahanamoku-Sterling who was extremely close to my mother...

Collectors and institutions, if you like what you’re seeing you can contact me to commission something special for your collection and in return help me perpetuate this important cultural practice in hopes that it never goes to sleep again in my family. Mahalo...

#Ahuula #HawaiianFeatherwork #TheKuleanaIsReal #SupportActualNativeHawaiians #GenerationalWork by @iankualii

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Ian Kūali'i describes what he does as "the meditative process of destroying to create," a balance between the rough and the delicate that traces back to his years writing graffiti, where he found he loved the cut more than the paint. That patience carries through everything in Geometry of Culture. Underneath the freehand precision is a sense of responsibility, the Hawaiian idea of kuleana. "Knowing I was given these gifts," he says, "I have the responsibility to be able to honor and bring forth the individuals who move me, Kānaka Maoli and other Indigenous, to figure out ways to bring further visibility to their causes and the issues they face, the crafts they've mastered." He was raised believing the traditional and the contemporary can collide and coexist, and his work insists on both at once, ancestral iconography rendered with a street artist's hand.

Images:
1). Ian Kuali'i, Aupuni, 2026, hand-cut kapa w/ painted verso, 7 x 5 in
2). Ian Kuali'i, Kānemuka, 2026, hand-cut pōpō kapa w/ indigo dyed kapa mesh verso, 7 x 5 in by @iankualii

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2 months ago

For twenty-five years, Ian Kūali'i has been cutting images and geometric motifs freehand from a single sheet of paper with an X-Acto blade, a technique that grew out of his years in graffiti and stenciling. His eight new works in Geometry of Culture carry that same hand into kapa, the traditional Hawaiian barkcloth, part of his ongoing move away from commercial paper toward more sustainable and culturally relevant materials. The back of each piece is painted, and the work is floated between plexiglass off the wall, so light passes through the cutouts, bounces off the painted verso, and casts a wash of color in the shadow behind it. Each piece holds a thread of family history tied to his Native Hawaiian background: important ancestors and figures, deities, events that shaped a lineage. What reads at first as pure pattern is doing older work underneath, using form the way his ancestors did, to tell a story.

On view through August 30. Swipe for the reverse.

Images: 1). Ian Kuali'i, Kalanikūpule, 2026, hand-cut kapa w/ painted verso, 10 x 10 in
2). Ian Kuali'i, Kamaka'aulani, 2026, hand-cut pōpō kapa w/ indigo dyed kapa mesh verso, 10 x 10 in by @iankualii

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2 months ago

Sunday, August. 9, join us us for another edition of the Sunday Donut Experience! Artists Nancy Ariza, Ian Kuali'i, Terran Last Gun, Daniel McCoy, & Lehuauakea will be here for a very special artist panel. Live music by Johnny Bell starts at noon and the talks start at 12:30. Free coffee & donuts as always! by @iankualii

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3 months ago

Geometry might not seem like a narrative form, but through these artists' eyes, shape and color unspool into stories both far-reaching and intimate. In the upcoming group show, Geometry of Culture features work that reads as geometric abstraction and reveals layers of personal and cultural meaning.

Piikani artist Terran Last Gun integrates forms from Blackfoot-painted lodges, hides, and war shirts. His recent ledger drawings, hand-drawn geometry over historic banking documents, have moved into lithography with printer Mitchell Marti, who paired the medium's fine lines and flat shapes with chine collé, collaging thin washi that resembles ledger paper onto heavy cotton rag.

Eastern Band of Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo artist Skye Tafoya weaves bookcloth with screen-printed paper in a new work focused on Sacred Sites in both of her tribal communities. "Visually and conceptually, I am always working in geometry — it is something that is inherent in my process," she says.

Native Hawaiian artist Lehuauakea has made two hand-stitched, quilt-like works in kapa, natural dyes, and earth mineral pigments. "The show focuses on the use of geometric motifs as an expression of one's Indigenous heritage, storytelling, and traditions, and that is exactly the approach that my ancestors and I embody towards the making of kapa," they say, noting kapa lay dormant for roughly a century until a generation or two ago.

Ian Kūali'i, also Native Hawaiian, works in kapa with his hand-cut works marking a shift away from commercially available paper after two and a half decades with the technique. Each piece carries family history: figures, deities, significant events.

Gallery newcomer Nancy Ariza draws on her lineage as a descendent of a saddlemaker and piteado artisan, translating the geometric, floral, and animal patterns of piteado through woodcut and screenprinting. Her inks come from cochineal and quebracho, connecting her to ancestral homelands through natural materials.

@r.skye.t @terranlastgun @lehuauakea @iankualii @nancy_ariza by @iankualii

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3 months ago

The final Puali‘ahu Workshop of the year brought together both new and returning students, all joining in the shared practice of perpetuating the sacred art of the ‘ahu ‘ula. Guided by Kumu Hulu Nui, Rick San Nicolas, these workshops are more than lessons—they are a collective effort to honor and carry forward a rich cultural tradition.

Applications for the Spring 2025 workshops are now open. If you feel called to learn and be part of this legacy, visit the link in bio to apply.

#HawaiianFeathers #PualiahuWorkshops #HawaiianFeatherArt #PerpetuatingTradition #Ahuula #Pualiahu #KumuHulu #KumuHuluNui #HawaiianFeatgerCape #HawaiianArt by @iankualii

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…New land art piece measuring roughly 33’ x 6’ honoring both the Avanyu and Mo‘o deities of the Southwest and Hawai‘i. Before composing in solitude I make ho‘okupu/offerings and pray for permission to be in space. This land and water prayer of sorts is composed using only natural elements from the immediate area of Bear Creek just before the “Primitive Trail” sign at the Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary and is part of the @ecoartspace ‘Where There is No Name for Art, Ogha Po’oge (White Shell, Water Place)’ activation sponsored by the City of Santa Fe Department of Arts & Culture… by @iankualii

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We have some amazing new works by Ian Kuali’i @iankualii exquisitely framed and ready for “Slow Water,” the new show opening next week at Cara Romero Gallery. Ian’s large-scale hand-cut paper works speak to Kanaka Maoli homelands and culture.
The works shown in “Slow Water” share an incredible conversation of our connections to the Pacific and our journeys that have brought us together in the lands of Oga Po’Geh through art and story.
Come see his work in person during the opening reception Thursday, Aug 15 from 4-8pm.
Details at Come see this work in person during the opening reception Thursday, Aug 15 from 4-8pm.
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#KanakaMaoli #KanakaOiwi #nativehawaiian #TheKuleanalsReal #maui #slowwater by @iankualii

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by @iankualii

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2 years ago

🌊 Discover “𝐇𝐄ʻ𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐔: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠”, at Hawaii Theatre 🏄‍♂️

Dive into 2,000 years of surfing history through the works of contemporary Kānaka Maoli artists. Originally showcased at the HEARD Museum, this multi-site exhibition delves into the cultural significance and modern legacy of Hawaiian surfing. Explore the intricate relationship between Indigenous surfing traditions and the contemporary surfing industry, and learn how surfing remains a vital part of Kānaka Maoli identity

Visit 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐢 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (@hawaiitheatre) to see portraits of Hawaiian surf legends and contemporary surfers, paired with beautifully crafted papa he’e nalu (surfboards). Deep dive into surfing’s past and present continuum through the works of 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙖𝙪𝙢, 𝙄𝙖𝙣 𝙆𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞’𝙞, 𝙃𝙖’𝙖 𝙆𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙖, 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙄𝙩𝙤, 𝘿𝙧. 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙆𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙤, 𝙏𝙤𝙢 𝙋ō𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙪 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖

Then, be sure to visit 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 & 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 (@artslettersnuuanu) and 𝐀𝐮𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 (@aupunispace) to visit other narrative points such as ‘akua, mo’olelo, the wahine perspective, and more

🗓️ 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙞 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: June 7 – August 5
𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙨 & 𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙮: June 6 – July 21
𝘼𝙪𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙞 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚: June 6 - July 3

🎉 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

June 7, 5-8pm: First Friday Opening at Manini Gallery at Hawaii Theatre Center

🌟 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬

Gallery Walkthrough with Surf Journalist Daniel Ikaika Ito: Sat, June 8, 1-2 PM

Artist Talk with Tom Pohaku Stone and Daniel Ikaika Ito: Fri, July 5, 6-7 PM

Thank you to our sponsors: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Atherton Family Foundation, The Creative City Advisory Fund, Core Group One, The James Simmons and Karen Rudolph Fund, and Puʻuhonua Society.

📍 Save the dates and join us in celebrating the legacy of Hawaiian surfing!

#HeeNalu #Surf #hawaiiart #hawaiiartist #ArtExhibition #SurfingHistory #chinatownhonolulu #maninigallery taken in Hawaii Theatre Center by @iankualii

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…Unbelievably honored to announce my solo exhibition with @urbanshamangallerywpg
ʻAʻohe Hope E Hoʻi Aku Ai / And We Never Looked Back...

Nā Lā Hōʻikeʻike: Iulai 7 – ʻAukake 19, 2023

Hāmama nā puka: Pōʻalima, Iulai 7, 2023. Hola 5 o ke ahiahi a i ka hola 9 o ke ahiahi. (Hola: 5pm – 9pm.)

Running dates: July 7 to August 19, 2023

Opening: Friday, July 7, 2023. 5pm to 9pm

#IanKualii #HandCutPaper #LandArt #KanakaMaoli #NativeHawaiian #UrbanShaman #Winnipeg #Manitoba #Canada by @iankualii

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3 years ago