Lāʻau Kūpuna | Plantcestors

The polysemous word kumu in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi can mean tree, trunk, teacher, source, and reason. It embodies how deeply humans have relied on plants not only to survive, but to express aspects of emotion, spirituality, and collectivity. Plants are our teachers and ancestors.

Lāʻau Kūpuna | Plantcestors is a collection of artworks and stories inspired by and sourced from plants found across Moananuiākea. Each participating artist has a personal connection to certain plants and their materiality, lifecycles, histories, and healing properties. Like the voyaging histories of the humans who brought these plants to Hawaiʻi’s shores, the intellectual, spiritual, and artistic tracing of genealogy can be followed through the biological paths and material processing protocols of each plant.

My pilina to the Wauke tree, who’s biological genealogy connecting Hawaiʻi to East Asia reflects my own, sparked an interest in the importance of material and mentorship in the practices and protocols of other artists who work with plants. Wauke was planted across the Pacific and assimilated into each culture to be of service to people and place. I too hope to grow in service to where I am planted. What have others learned from their lāʻau kūpuna?

Material processing, especially in relation to ʻāina, is an important aspect of art-making. It is an honor to share with community the lessons and insights that emerge from relating to plants as living ancestors through artwork created by artists I have long admired, received guidance from, and grown alongside.

—Kano Watanabe

Join us Friday, September 18th from 5:30 - 9:30pm

Gallery Hours 12 - 4pm

kaiao space

1018 smith st