ʻAI MAMA exhibition honors ʻŌlohe G. ʻUmi Kai and Suluʻape Keone Nunes
Two Hawaiian master practitioners are being honored in a new Windward Community College exhibition for Hawaiian History Month, a win for efforts to keep traditional knowledge alive.
- The ʻAI MAMA show at the ʻIolani Gallery highlights how Hawaiian cultural knowledge is handed down from teacher to student.
- ʻUmi Kai has made traditional Hawaiian weapons and implements since 1967, teaching himself at a time when almost no one else was doing the work.
- Suluʻape Keone Nunes has practiced traditional Hawaiian tattooing since 1990, and says becoming a real student takes three to five years, not a single workshop.
- The show puts their own students front and center so the public sees how long and demanding the path actually is.
- Interest has grown since the *Chief of War* series aired, with more people asking about old weapons, tools, and the Hawaiian language.
Outlook: An artist reception on Friday and a panel discussion Saturday give the public a chance to hear both men directly, with the exhibition running for the coming weeks.