A Ka Luna o Pu’uonioni by Makoa Freitas
Dimensions: 22.4″ x 14.93
Description:
Pu‘uonioni is the name of a historical cliff face and hill top that once stood at the rim of Halema‘uma‘u, on its most makai edge. Multiple traditional histories and legends reference this now-subsided cliff face, specifically relating to encounters with Pele and her sisters. One of these encounters takes place as the demi-god Kamapua‘a first peers into Halema‘uma‘u, at the cliffs of Akanikōlea. He observes the Hi‘iaka sisters making lei on the lava floor below, as the fires from the pit flow to Malama devastating all in its path. Taking on the form of a handsome man, Kamapua‘a sought to gain the favors of Pele and her sisters. In the traditional mele titled “A Ka Luna o Pu‘uonioni”, Kamapua’a himself tells of this interaction:
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A ka luna (o) Puuonioni Ua one a kai o Malama |
At the top of Puuonioni The lowlands of Malama is sand covered Keeping Keeping watch, greetings. |
This photo, taken from the vantage point of where Pu‘uonioni once stood, reimagines some of those lei-making scenes of the Hi‘iaka sisters, that Kamapua‘a elucidated upon in this mele.
About The Artist:
Born and raised in He’eia, Oahu, Makoa is a digital + film photographer who’s work is constantly straddling both the worlds of documentation and artistic expression. As a kanaka (person of Hawaiian ancestry), a trained archival researcher, and a professional in Cultural & Resource management, Makoa is constantly working with subject matter that embraces the fluidity of time and knowledge. Whereas storytelling and visual display may catch the eyes and thoughts of today’s audience, the hopes of the artist is to reapply and retell these stories/knowledge systems for audiences hundreds of years from now.
