Owarinaki michi : ka huaka'i palena'ole

Abstract

The thesis installation entitled "Owarinaki Michi: Ka Huaka'i Palena 'Ole" was presented at the Haigo and Irene Shen Architecture Gallery at the University of Hawaiʻi School of Architecture from April 1-12, 2013. "Owarinaki Michi: Ka Huakaʻi Palena 'Ole" depicts my journey to connect with both my native and adopted cultures. Through this process, I have come to realize how precious the beauty of nature is by cleansing negative emotion from my mind in order to absorb mana, a source of life, into my body. The English equivalent of these Japanese and Hawaiian phrases is "The Never-Ending Journey." In this exhibition, my purpose was to depict a connection between both the Japanese and Hawaiian cultures, each of which respects the bond between nature and humanity. Japanese people express this through the spirit of Shintoism, whereas Hawaiians express it through the spirit of mana. In the exhibition, the salt spiral represents a journey to discover my Japanese roots through the lens of the Hawaiian culture. The path is ritually drawn by hand-sprinkling salt three times into mound-shaped piles. This process metaphorically purifies the body, emotions and spirit while preserving knowledge from experiences. The structure of the roots refers to my own experiences and knowledge acquired through the course of my life, while the luminosity of the glass refers to spiritual power and strength that can be obtained from nature. Tying individual roots together symbolizes the establishment of self-awareness; the experiences and knowledge of the past joining together to create a complex tapestry continuing into the future. The journey of awareness will never end if there is hope that drives a person forward. My intent was to present a path through one such journey.