Title
Creation Date
2015
Preview
Medium
archival prints on wood
Description
Dimensions: composed of 8 parts, various dimensions
Rights
© Kamil Gitana Keawe, 2015. Photo credit: Cassie Phippen.
Keywords
black and white, colonialism, Hawaiian, history, culture, 19th Century
Artist Statement
The Kingdom of Hawai’i was overthrown by eleven non-native business men in 1894 and the beloved Queen, Lili’uokalani was forced off her thrown and imprisoned. These businessmen thought to take advantage of trusting people and exploit them in an effort to capitalize on the growing trade industry in the Islands. These business men wanted more control over the exportation of goods and seized any opportunity to do so.
With the introduction of western culture, the Hawaiian islands were met with great devastation shortly after the islands themselves were discovered. The overthrow, the uprising of production, and the exposure to foreign diseases have left a lasting impact on the indigenous people. 80% of the native population died and their land was stripped from beneath them. The Hawaiian culture has been dwindling away ever since.
Wood cutouts were used to form a topographic sculpture of Hawai’i. Starting from the east (Hawai‘i Island a.k.a. The Big Island), the archival images depict specific emotions felt by the native people for the loss of their land, their way of life, and their home being taken. Moving west, the images used depict westerners…westerners behind the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.