Politics of Expression: The Contemporary Native Hawaiian Visual Arts Movement

Abstract

Politics of Expression: The Contemporary Native Hawaiian Visual Arts Movement sheds light on Indigenous self-expression through contemporary art in Hawaiʻi. It explores how Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) visual artists have shaped and responded to the socio-cultural landscape over the past five decades, revealing the inherently political nature of their creative endeavors. Spanning fifty years, this history highlights the dynamic and vibrant evolution of the Kānaka Maoli visual arts movement, which unfolds in three distinct waves: The Kūpuna (elders, grandparent generation) from 1973-1993, the Mākua (teacher and parent generation) from 1994- 2004, and the Moʻopuna (student generation, two generations later) from 2005-2023.This dissertation spotlights notable artists, seminal exhibitions, innovative arts programming, and the institutions and organizations that have either supported or hindered this movement. It also brings to the forefront the numerous achievements and challenges Native Hawaiian artists have faced over the years, including racism, discrimination, and cultural appropriation. Despite formidable obstacles such as the absence of infrastructure and the lack of recognition, Kānaka Maoli visual artists have successfully advanced the movement and cultivated a thriving arts scene in Hawaiʻi. They continue to employ visual art to transmit mana (authority, power, spirit) in their dedicated pursuit of ea (life, sovereignty, breath, and independence). Their artwork stands as aesthetic evidence of Kānaka Maoli claims for sovereign independence, while this manuscript serves as a testament to their aloha ʻāina (love of the land), often regarded as a political act in occupied Hawaiʻi.