Kilo Kāpala — Mahealily's Portfolio

Title

Kilo Kāpala

Description

Made in connection with the British Museum’s Exhibition “Hawaiʻi: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans,” this interactive cultural workshop provided members of the British Museum an opportunity to learn about Hawaiian culture and practice aloha ʻāina through visual storytelling.
Kilo Kāpala, literally meaning to print observations, was inspired greatly by the exhibition’s vast kapa collection. Traditional methods of Hawaiian printmaking use tools such as hand-carved ʻohe kāpala or lapa and is vastly unique in visual style. Each symbol has deep meaning and is used in a specific way to share a specific message.
This workshop gave participants the opportunity to experience a contemporary version of ʻohe kāpala. Opening with traditional ʻoli (chant) and a brief lesson into sustainability in Hawaiian culture, the class combined cultural education with interactive printmaking and self-reflection to give deeper insight to the arts showcased in the exhibtion.
I designed and hand-carved 8 types of wooden stamps, each depicting a different notable aspect of Hawaiian culture: lā and mahina (sun and moon); mauka (mountains); manu (birds); kalo (taro); lauhala; ʻohana (family); limu (seaweed/shoreline algae); moana (ocean). Each participant was provided with a worksheet to document how they connected to each motif. Then, they were guided in using their reflections to create a custom print to take home with them, reminding them to always practice aloha ʻāina.
This workshop took place over two events, the March Member’s Evening for 120 adults, and the Island Sleepover for 260 children (age 8-16) and their families.

Date

January - April 2026

Duration

4 Months

Media

Workshop; Contemporary ʻohe kāpala (hand-carved basswood) printed on
Notpla (stock from GF Smith).

Location

British Museum, London