Sitting nearly 2,000 miles off of the mainland of the United States are the "Sandwich Islands," as Captain James Cook first described them as. The tropical islands of Hawaii have been known for its rich array of culture and diversity. As a Pacific melting pot, a broad range of artisans work with many medium to create unique works of art. Today, a few artisans are using the art of kapa and quilting.
The beauty of the Hawaiian Islands has inspired countless artists in the creation of some of the world's most treasured collectables. Much of the artwork created in the Islands today has roots in the ancient cultural practices of Hawaii. The ancient Hawaiian artisans were skillful craftsmen with extremely high standards of work and a unique perspective on artistic nature. They believed that each undertaking was a test of self and dedication to the Hawaiian culture and religion. Na hana noeau refers to "wise and skillful works" and represents works of ancient Hawaiian art that were functional, as well as beautiful. In this case, kapa is one of the arts of Na hana noeau of ancient Hawaii.
Kapa making is an art that was first used throughout the Pacific, despite the fact that it was perfected in Polynesia. Captain James Cook was captivated by the artistic beauty of the cloth made of pounded bark. So-called "improvements of civilized society" was the intoduction of woven cloth, which became accessible that kapa making dissapeared within a century after the arrival of Cook. It wasn't until the 1970s that a renaissance of interest and pride in the Hawaiian culturecaused artisans like Big Island's Kanae Keawe and Puanani van Dorpe to research old techniques and attempt to revive the art.
It is said that Hawaiian quilting had been started when two wives were introduced to quilting by the missionaries. Hawaiians used a different type of material, kapa, which wasn't as much as a waste , since missionaries back then, cut pieces into large squares , rearranged them, and sewed them back together. Instead, Hawaiians used every bit of kapa they needed and gave any extra for the missionaries to use.
Bishop Museum is a historical landmark that has arts, showing the history of Hawaii and how it began. Instituted by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1965, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and Art (HSFCA) is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and perpetuating cultural arts in the Hawaiian Islands.
Hey Desiree,
ReplyDeleteGood rough draft. There are a few things you could work on though.
Well first of all, your first paragraph is good. It leads the reader right into kapa and quilting. So you have good transitions.
Some things you could work on is that since you're probably doing a past/present essay, you should write a bit more about the kapa and quilting in the present. Also talk some more about quilting because as you talked about it in the 4th paragraph, it didn't really talk about quilting and it also kind of went back to talking about kapa.
well besides that, this is a good draft.
-kristen
Hey Desiree,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristen , you do have a good draft but you could add more things about kapa and hawaiian quilting. In the fourth paragraph, you're talking about kapa again. Maybe you should kinda write a little bit more about hawaiian quilting.
-Kiana
Hi Desiree,
ReplyDeleteYour essay contains a lot of information on kapa and on Hawaiian quilting. What it needs, however, is a clear thesis that discusses a cause and effect relationship as applied to your topic.
What caused Hawaiian arts to disappear? You mention a little about the cloth brought by the missionaries, but you could expand on that.
What caused it to return? You can expand on that as well.
You also need to develop the part on Hawaiian quilting. Was there a connection between kapa and Hawaiian quilting? What influences were there on the Hawaiian people to develop Hawaiian quilts?
This information is important because this essay was to show cause and effect, rather than to just "report" on a topic.
Let me know if you have questions.
mrs s