Hawaiian Studies is a film photography project following Hawai‘i feather artist, Kawika Lum-Nelmida. The series weaves together moments with the Kahili Crew, who have long crafted feather standards for ali‘i (royalty) and historic sites, a magnificent feather cloak that debuted at the MAMo Wearable Fashion Show, and the art of creating lei humupapa. Some of my favorite frames came from accidental light leaks along the way.
KAHILI
The Kahili Crew has spent over a decade crafting traditional feather standards for revered Hawaiian spaces and figures. These kahili — created for Kawika’s master’s thesis and featured at MAMo — embody legacy, ceremony, and collaboration.
LEI HUMUPAPA
Part of Bishop Museum’s Living Culture series, Kawika taught the contemporary art of Lei Humupapa, a flat-stitch feather technique rooted in Hawaiian tradition. This chapter captured process, practice, and the beauty of imperfection — including unexpected light leaks that became defining images.
MAMo SHOW
Kawika Lum-Nelmida, Feather Artist
For the MAMo Wearable Fashion Show, Kawika unveiled four works, including a breathtaking feather cloak created over months of daily devotion — a powerful closing piece for the trio’s presentation.
MAMo SHOW
Marques Hanalei Marzan, Fabric Artist
Along with Kawika, two other artists and cultural practitioners presented their work. One of which was fabric artist Marques Hanalei Marzan, who presented seven sculptural works crafted from copper, silk worm casing, coconut rope, and more.