Na Lei O Hawaii
Songs, or mele in Hawaiian, are more than just a form of entertainment; they are a piece of history and culture. In the Hawaiian culture, songs are classified into five categories: mele pule (prayers), mele inoa (chants about chiefs), mele ho'oipoipo (love songs), mele 'aina (songs praising the land), and mele pana (place). Included in the last category are a series of modern songs which associate each of the nine major islands with a particular flower. The most widely known of these songs is “Na Lei O Hawaii,” which was written by Reverend Samuel Kapu of Maui in 1900.. .
For my undergraduate senior thesis in art at Connecticut College, I created a series of prints in which I depict the unique identities of each Hawaiian Island. I drew upon the flowers mentioned in “Na Lei O Hawaii,”the landscape, and my own personal travel experiences to construct prints representing each island.
