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Ke Kupina'i O Ka Pu ("Pu Blower / The Echo of the Pu")
The haunting call of the pfi breaks into the stillness of the early evening
and rises high in the breeze like the concerted call of the ancient lookouts
and warriors who once were the living... who once so bravely fought where we
now stand. The mountain pass, once reverberant with their screams of triumph
and of agony, has long been silent; but the spilt blood of the fallen will
never fully wash away in the rains of time. Just as modem science has shown
how blood cannot be eradicated with simple washing, thus it is with history.
And we remember... And we stand here in the shadow of the mountain on
the plush green carpet of the nahele, breathing in the sweetness of the laua'
e and yellow ginger around us, and we remember... "Here" can be anywhere at
all in these islands because there can be no spot in Hawai'i which does not
fall into the shadow or the glory of thePali Pass and the final battle for a
united kingdom (The Battle of Nu'uanu Pali - 1795).
In this painting, I have included images of all three sons of Hattie
Hoolulu Kuia from Maui (lineage of Kameei_oku through his fourth wife.)
Immediately behind my real life model is Kamuela, the eldest of the three and
my husband. In the back, portrayed as High Chief Hoolulu next to his cousin,
Kamehameha the Great, I have used Kamuela's younger brother, AI, to model as
his own ancestor. In the foreground, the youngest of the three brothers,
Moses, sits on the wall, holding the running torch. My real life model,
sounding the pu, is Dalton, son of Moses. Farthest up the wall, visible next
to Dalton's arm, is a small image of Kamuela, Jr., son of Kamuela.
The spirit standing on the wall in the middle of the painting is my
friend, Likeke (Bell), whom I paddle with at Anuenue Canoe Club. He has sounded
the ph at the I1ikai almost every day for the last forty two years. Along the
extreme left of the painting is my nephew, Henry. . Mai poina 'oe i ke koko 0
na kupuna 0 Hawai'i. Ku i ka pono
Unframed Limited Edition Sizes:
Artist Proof: 75 Size: 60/48
Large: 288 Size: 50x40
Medium: 288 Size: 40x32
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