'ahu 'ula

Item number 2012.99.1 from the Portland Art Museum.

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Description

Bernice Akamine says the impetus behind her feather work is a cultural connection to her Hawaiian ancestors, and finds inspiration in the feather baskets of the Pomo people. 'Ahu 'ula is the feather cape worn by Hawaiian nobility. This basket speaks alliances leading to cultural and artistic connections throughout the Pacific. Though this basket portrays connections between people and the natural world, Akamine says that when she works with feathers, the quiet she experiences is like an isolated meditation.